Inazuma
by Akikazu
Summary: JOIYxover Kagome is back in the present and in a new city to boot. With so many different instincts pulling her apart can she pull through and find her one and only? All that's known is that the Aquarian Age promises to have a spectacular finish.
1. Chapter One

. : Inazuma : .

. : Chapter One : .

: . by Akikazu . :

Like so many night before she woke in a cold sweat, malevolent laughter ringing in her ears and scenes of horribly mutilated bodies burned into her retinas.

Kagome Higurashi sixteen year old, time traveler extraordinaire drew her knees into her chest and clutched her pajama clad legs to her.

How had it come to this?

They were suppose to triumph over evil and live happily every after. How could they have been so wrong?

They were all dead, and she was stuck on this side on the well, she hadn't even had the chance to bury their bodies. And worst of all they were dead because of her.

Her eyes slipped close only to spring open under the visions of mutilated bodies and the ringing screams of death. She let her head fall to rest on her knees.

Everything else was going bad too. Her life was falling apart, slowing, subtly but it was falling apart none the less. Jii-chan had died months back, around the same time the final battle had begun, it was really ironic. Her mother had soon fallen soon after, Kagome's return home was perfectly timed so that she could see her mother being put in an ambulance.

Her mother was still in the hospital, the doctors could not find what was wrong with her, her body was health and there was no reason for her to be coughing up blood.

And that brought them to this day. Because the hospital couldn't find anything wrong with their mother they were moving her to a more advanced hospital. Kagome and Souta were moving with her, Kagome had found a small apartment for them to stay while their mother hopefully got the treatment that she needed.

That meant that she was leaving the shrine behind, and with it all of her hopes of seeing the Sengoku Jidai ever again.

Kagome settled back into her bed, and let her eyes fall closed. It was going to be a long night.

And worse yet it was going to be a long eternity.

I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.

"I sense an ominous presence in our not so distant future."

The announcement was met with silence in the all but deserted, indoor gym. One of the three boys in the room looked at the boy that had made the announcement, cocking his head to the side as his purple gray eyes shined with innocence, a lock of blond hair fell into his eyes with the action.

"Ano Shiba Sempai, what so you mean?"

The elder boy snapped around to look at the blond boy, returning to earth from his gaze to nowhere. Shiba's red eyes were narrowed as he thought of his premonition, but he shook loose of his thought, sending his red hair into a state of disarray.

"I'm getting the distinct feeling that we're going to have opposition soon. I don't mean to worry you Amou."

The third boy yawned and opened his eyes, looking as if he had just waken up with his mussed dark blond hair and his laconic golden eyes.

"Aww, Isshin Sempai you always predict dark futures for us. Why don't you give a good fortune?" The third boy whined.

Isshin Shiba scowled at him, his fist threatening threateningly before he took a deep breath.

"For the millionth time Itsuki, it's Yi-Xin. And I don't make up stories to pass on as fortune, if you want that go find a fake fortuneteller or something."

"And waste my hard earned money, no way in hell."

The doors to the gym opened a girl bounced in side, looking at the three boys with a grin. She was a feminine version of Itsuki, his twin sister to be exact.

"Come on you guys. Mana, and Kaname already left for their homeroom."

"Hello Haruna-san," Amou greeted politely.

Both Amou and Shiba then stood and prepared to head to class. Itsuki's reaction was much more drastic.

"Why does he always leave me all alone with such people. Kaname how could you do this to me again?" Itsuki cried as Haruna came in further and dragged him out.

Seeing that his act was having no effect Itsuki turned off the tear effects and sullenly followed his sister.

It was going to be a long day.

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

Okay, okay before you all shout at me for not updating Muichi Motsu for so long I just want you to know that I am retyping the story for the fifth time. Chapter seven is EVIL!

For all of you other people I am glad that you have read this there is only one other person who I know of who has written a Inu Yasha – Juvenile Orion crossover.

Now I'll quietly go back and write the rest of chapter seven. It should be up by Monday.

Akikazu logging off.


	2. Chapter Two

. : Inazuma : .

. : Chapter Two : .

: . By Akikazu . :

The Goshinboku was truly a glorious tree. The way the sun streaked through the branches and glowed through the thin leaves.

Yes, to Kagome the Goshinboku was a miracle of nature, an immortal spirit of the Earth. It was also a reminder. A reminder of the past and of how everything could go so terribly wrong. How the world could change in a second.

It was the imbodyment of all her past adventures, so much more than the Shikon no Tama that was now infused with her body. In her eyes the Shikon no Tama was a symbol of pure evil.

How else could it have been involved with such an impure wish.

_I wish you had never existed._

And while the jewel was cursed to such an evil existence, the Goshinboku was the exact opposite a thoroughly pure being.

But this was the last day it would stand.

Kagome affectionately let her hand move along the rough bark of the tree. Mentally preparing herself for the task ahead. It had to be done soon, Okaa-san was already being moved to the new hospital and Souta was waiting in the movers.

This would be the last time she ever saw the shrine, the last time she would be able to look out her bedroom window and know that the well to the past was sealed.

She was not leaving everything behind however, the essence of the Goshinboku cried out against the knowledge of their departure and so Kagome had decided that the Goshinboku's spirit would just have to come with her.

Holding her left hand to the firm trunk of the tree she let her eyes fall close, seeking out the welcoming aura of the Goshinboku. Once she fell into the warm aura of the Goshinboku she searched for the most inner core of the tree, she tried to locate the heart of the Goshinboku's spirit.

It knew exactly what she was doing, it's spirit was joyous at the prospect. Kagome molded the Goshinboku's spirit, where it once was stretch to its limits it was as small as it could comfortably make its self.

In the really world Kagome was glowing a soft purple, as her aura was active enough to be seen in the mortal world, with the focus point of the glowing coming from her hand. It swirled and twist making something from the metaphysical plane a solid object. Her aura created a wind blowing her long raven hair around her form before it suddenly disappeared, the purple glow fading more steadily.

Deep blue eyes opened to look at her right hand, and in her palm lay a jewel, that only that amounted to only a fourth of the Shikon no Tama, attached to a plane silver chain. The jewel itself was clear with a strange misty quality to it and Kagome swore that she could see a miniature figure of the tree itself in its depths preserved in its dawn light glow.

HONK

The rudely loud noise of the car horn broke her out of her musings and drew her attentions to the stairs that lead to the street below.

"Kagome are you done yet? We've been waiting forever!"

Souta's voice was highly overdramatic as she had only been gone for fewer then ten minutes. A fond smile lit her face as she clasped the Goshinboku's chain around her neck. She wouldn't trade the little game-obsessed-freak for anything in the world.

And so it came to pass that Kagome Higurashi walked away from her childhood home and sanctuary from past adventures.

Leaving behind only a small pile of ash from what was once Goshinboku, but soon even that was blown away.

It was the end of a legend and the beginning of a completely different story.

I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.

Another day, another morning, another physic try to take control of the Aquarian Age.

Did they honestly think that they stood a chance? Why did these fools continue to seek their demise at their groups hands?

Maybe it was just because of that, the fact that they were fool.

I mean a normal, sane person would no doubt avoid any person that was rumored to be the Evil God Bael incarnated.

Scratch that any _normal_ person would break into hysterical laughter if they heard that, because being the carnate of an God, even if it was an evil one, was impossible. It was also impossible for high school student to run around killing each other because they were involved in a secret war that had been going on for hundreds of year, but hey that really did happen. And the fact was that if you had gotten wind of the evil god rumor, chances were that you weren't normal.

Itsuki yawned and broke loose of his musings, giving Amou a pathetically tiered, yet fake no matter how realistic it looked, look.

"Amou do you know what time it is?" He asked, his voice slightly whinny.

"It about a quarter till five. Why if you don't mind me asking It-"

Itsuki was out of sight before Amou had finished his question, his panic cry ringing in the air.

"I'm late gonna be late for work!"

Amou giggled and everyone else snorted, laughed, or tried to cover up their mirth.

"Itsuki-kun is so funny isn't he Tomonori-san?"

The black haired man turned to look at his young charge, his dark eyes soft with affection as sunlight glinted off the frames of his glasses.

"Itsuki is a very hard working young man, most of the time," he added quietly.

"He's lazy."

The comment came from a dark haired boy standing near a blonde girl.

"Kaname-kun you know that Itsuki-kun has many jobs so he can support both him and Haruna-chan," scolded the blonde girl.

"It true, Mana," Kaname said bluntly.

"Yes Mana-chan my brother is a lazy bum," Haruna added.

"I suppose he is a bit dazed at times, but certainly not lazy," Mana protested.

Kaname gave in with a sigh there was no way he was going to win if Mana was set on proving that Itsuki was not lazy. Apparently Haruna relized it too for she was also silent.

"I suppose you should all be getting home, it is a school night and I'm sure you all have homework," Tomonori suggested.

"Yes, Nakaura Sensei. Let go Kaname-kun, Auntie Natsumi wants you to come visit today," Mana said grabbing onto Kaname's sleeve.

"Alright."

Mana dragged Kaname off after waving and soon after everyone went off on their way home. Amou and Tomonori were headed in the opposite direction as Kaname and Mana.

"Tomonori-san?"

The teacher gave his attention to the young boy walking besides him.

"Yes?"

Amou glanced quickly at him before looking away apprehensively. This caught his attention and his undivided attention fell onto the boy.

"What is it Tsukasa?"

Amou used glance up at the elder man from the coner of his eye.

"I've been getting a strange feeling latey, and earier this week Shiba Sempai had a premonition. I think something is going to happen soon."

Tomonori frowned this wasn't good, he had also been feeling of a strange presence recently. Something was definatly coming, and he could only hope that they were strong enough to surpass any challenges that may occur.

As it was he smiled gentelly down at his nervous charge.

"Don't worry about it Tsukasa. If it's anything, we'll be able to deal with it."

The young boy smiled gratefully, completely reassured.

"Thank you Tomonori-san."

Unfortunatly Tomonori's mind wasn't as easily reassured. Something was going to happen and it was going to change at least one their lives forever.

It was the beginning of another story.

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

Alright I've whipped out two chapter of this story, short as they may be, and one chapter of Muichi Motsu this week. I'm on a roll!

Now excuse me as I go pass out on my bed from exhaustion.

Ja ne.

: . Review Responses . :

CrimsonAngel91 - I love JO soooo much, especially Itsuki but Amou is definatly coming in as a close secnd.

xxprincess-sakuraxx - I also love JO even though the series is terribly short.

sakurakitsune14 - yes, it's my goal to write lots of IY crossovers, eventually one that no one has ever done before.


	3. Chapter Three

. : Inazuma : .

. : Chapter Two : .

: . By Akikazu . :

If there was a god, he was laughing at him.

Here he was one of the laziest physics in the universe and he was juggling an uncountable number of odd jobs. Naoya Itsuki sighed heavily as he rushed through the city to the Shinkansen. Jobs were just a way for him to escape from the life of the Aquarian Age. Even if they had taken control, the age old war wasn't going to stop because of a group of teens and a teaching priest.

Pity it truly wasn't all that easy.

Itsuki made it onto the bullet train second before its departure, watch with a slight disappointment as his ticket was taken away from him, never to be seen again as it was shredded. It wasn't that he was a penny pincher, he just hated to see his hard earned money be used for something as trivial as a ride on the Shinkansen, however this was a lot better than ran to his next job.

With that thought in mind he reached up to grab a nearby handhold to steady himself as the train moved forward, speeding off to its next destination.

Inside the car the gentle noises were lulling Itsuki to sleep as he stood, swaying with the train, letting his eyes fall closed as he took a brief rest. All too soon the Shinkansen shuddered to a stop, waking the still standing teenager.

People bustled about exiting or relocating themselves as more people joined them. Itsuki made sure that this wasn't his stop before attempting to return to his rest however a surge of power slammed him into awareness.

Golden eyes scrutinized slowly around looking for the physic that had brought him into awareness, this could be trouble he was alone and the power coming from the physic was overflowing.

His eyes rest on a girl that was taking a seat next to a young boy, her pale skin and raven hair burning an image into his mind. It appeared the boy next to her was of some relation, a brother in perhaps, for she was talking to him quietly, a murmur of her voice reaching his ears.

Cautiously he let a small tendril of his power leak, from his self made power-masking shield.

Her head shot up her eyes darting around the room searching for him. As the Shinkansen came to another stop her eyes rest on him, the blue gaze burning into his being. Itsuki couldn't catch his breath as the eyes flickered with conflicting emotions.

Before anything more dramatic could happen he stepped of the train, the doors sliding shut before him, cutting of their eye contact. As it left the station he could see the girl move to the window watching him as he merged back into the background of the crowd.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

It was official, Kami hated her.

Kagome wearily allowed Souta to drag her onto the Shinkansen after their long day of furniture and all the other house stuff shopping. Everything they had bought would be delivered to the house the next day, but for now all she wanted to do was go home and take a long, hot bath.

Of course that was also impossible because the hot water had yet to be installed.

Damn, life sucked.

They were finally seated on the bullet train when Kagome sensed a strange power nearby. As Souta talked obliviously next to her she scanned the room carefully, working to single out the source of the power even as she made noncommittal replies to her little brother.

She finally had it down to one person, a teenage boy.

Wasn't she lucky.

He was watching her openly, his golden eyes narrowed slightly as he observed her. She did the only thing she could do at a moment like this, she stared back. He was probably older than her, taller too. His dirty blonde hair was mused slightly and he had a strong body, very lean and well built. He could present a challenge in a fight.

Conflict built within her as the voices that she now recognized as instincts screamed in her head.

_**Kill him, rip him to shreds, feel his life's blood dripping away through your fingers.**_

_**Purify him, prove to the world your mastery of the ancient miko arts.**_

_**Cleanse the world of his filth, erase him from existence.**_

_**Exterminate this minor evil in the name of God.**_

Kagome could feel her resistance against her instincts weakening as her muscles tense to go after him, but the doors of the bullet train opened behind him and he stepped out, never taking his gaze from her's. But the spell was soon broken as the door shut with a click and the Shinkansen once again began it's journey.

She moved to the window and continued to watch him even as he disappeared into the crowd. Her instincts scream at him for letting the male go without battling him, but she ignored them. After all she couldn't kill a guy just because her instincts demanded it. Her memories flashed to times in the Sengoku Jidai and she looked briefly at her hands.

She really couldn't just kill the male, right?

"Onee-chan?"

Kagome smiled slightly as she returned to her seat next to Souta. She placed a calming hand on his leg and ruffled his hair in reassurance.

She couldn't do it, not in front of her brother. As long as she could, she would not let her brother become tainted by her instincts, on the other hand if anyone tried to harm him no god could save them from her.

The Goshinboku jewel pulsed on her chest soothing her worried heart as she continued her chat with her little brother.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"What you see my dear?"

The slick voice ran over her skin like ice cold water as she stared sightlessly forward, blind violet eyes unblinking.

"A great power has entered the vicinity."

Her world was just a swirling mass of color, shifting on a single axis as it spun. The world thought that she was unfortunate because of her sightlessness. The world was wrong, the world she saw was so much more wonderful than what one could see with real eyes.

She was a powerful physic and a rare one at that, her faction was both new and ancient only a few of them existed, the Sightless. They could not be born as other people with supernatural powers, they were 'created'.

Faintly she could feel a pulse of power and as she gazed into the swirling colors in her head she saw a mass of violet, one of her own kind was near. The violet color formed the image of a face, young and male with a cloth tied securely around his eyes. His mouth opened and closed soundlessly but she could almost hear the word they mouthed.

'She has finally come, the last stage will soon begin.'

Kamis please have mercy on their souls.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"Tsukasa?"

The young Eraser was staring at the sky as it darkened into the inky black night, but he turned as his name was called.

"Yes, Tomonori-san?"

The teacher took his place by the boy's side. The boy had been unusually quiet and it worried him greatly.

"Is something wrong Tsukasa?"

The boy turned back to watching the sky a slight look of apprehension on his face as he watch the twinkling stars.

"The Eraser fleet has returned."

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

I seem to be getting horrible with keeping up the regular updates don't I, but I should all even out after the first of June, during my summer vacation.

I'm going around and putting more of my support in with other authors and I have a report due on Friday, plus finals are coming up so life is a little hectic but I do have this short chapter for you and a chapter of Muichi Motsu is coming either today or tomorrow.

And so the plot of thisstory thickens with babble that may or may not be relevant with the plot, and we start to wonder about what the hell Kagome is going to do with those voices in her head, they will be returning no ifs, ands, or buts.

Ja ne

. : Review Responses : .

LKLTB - Yes it is, but I do love a dark story.

sakurakitsune14 - the meeting is a big deal to this story, as you can guess from the Kagome/Itsuki incident, and from there it really starts to unwravel.

Tsukiko-san - I was just reading one of your updates and I completely agree on the pairing thing, it's really not a crossover otherwise.

: . Thanks To . :

regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan

xxprincess-sakuraxx

Chinadoll27

skye

Rylee


	4. Chapter Four

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Four : .

The ear-piercing scream of the alarm clock rang shrilly in her ears. To her sleep fogged mind it was a roar of bloodlust and torment and Kagome practically leaped out of her bed as she scanned the area for the threat to her life.

A loud 'boom' brought her back to the world of reality, odd gears and springs hit her skin lightly and Kagome came to the realization that her alarm clock had just, to all appearances, spontaneously combusted.

"Nee-chan?"

Souta's head peaked into the room, dark hair tousled from sleep. Kagome continued to stare wide eyed at the tiny fragments of her ex-alarm clock.

_**See what we can do with our power**_

_**Those who cross us will pay**_

_**Our purity must be kept**_

_**Till we are proved unworthy we will rein**_

"Nee-chan shouldn't you be getting to school?" 

She thanked him mentally for yanking her away from the voices in her head. But it took Kagome's mind took few seconds to actually process what he said and she scrambled to her feet.

"Souta get out! I have to change and get ready for school!"

Souta left the room, with the door clicked shut behind him, not once noticing the alarm clock that had been shattered into more pieces than the Shikon no Tama. Kagome sighed and then scuttled into the bathroom, careful not to step on the pieces of the alarm clocks.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"I have a feeling that we'll be meeting a very powerful, female physic today," Isshin announced suddenly.

A basketball fell out of the hands of an unfortunate basketball player that had been innocently practicing near Isshin when he had made his announcement. Isshin was oblivious to the weird look he got from the boy as he continued to stare into space.

"Kaname, Isshin Sempai!"

Both Shiba and Kaname turned to face the doorway after hearing their names. Itsuki was waiting for them, unusually serious.

"We need to have a brief meeting, it's important."

Kaname nodded and threw the basketball he had been shooting into a bin. Shiba threw his ball to a practicing player. The three of them made their way to the roof, only stopping to grab Tsukasa on their way up.

It was slightly breezy on the roof, and the warm sunshine keeping them heated, though a few dark clouds littered the sky. Everyone sat at Itsuki's gesture. Itsuki rested against the railing, Kaname flopped onto his back in the shade of the roof, Shiba leaned against the wall, and Tsukasa settled on the ground indian style.

"What did you want Itsuki?" Kaname asked without preamble.

"I ran into a girl on the bullet train yesterday."

"And this has to do with what?" Shiba asked incredulously.

"She's a powerful psychic, extremely powerful."

"A threat to our authority?" Kaname questioned sharply.

Itsuki gazed into the sky, thinking back on his encounter with the girl on the Shinkansen. It had been one of the weirdest things to ever happen to him, there was just something about that girl…

"Itsuki-kun?" Tsukasa's voice brought him back to the situation at hand.

Itsuki glance at his friend before resting his eyes on Kaname.

"I don't think she knows about the Aquarian Age, but there was something in her eyes…"

"Don't tell me our in love Itsuki," Shiba said.

Itsuki paled briefly before his face reddened a tint.

"I-it's not like that. There was conflict in there, she was wary when she sensed me and afterwards she just stared at me, even after I got off. And not because of my irresistible looks either."

Everyone ignored his last comment but they were all silent. With an air finality Kaname, the unofficial leader among the boys, sat up and gave everyone a hard look.

"We'll keep an eye out for this girl, and if she is found to be a threat she'll be eliminated," Kaname paused for a second, considering his next words. "If she isn't we'll see if she will ally with us."

No one said anything, but Kaname, Tsukasa, and Shiba left quietly as the bell rang. Itsuki laid back on the rooftop, letting his eyes close and sleep steal him away.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

The bell rang just as Kagome stepped through the gate and onto the school grounds.

If the teachers were smart they wouldn't comment.

The wind blew the cloth of her Chou-ran behind her gracefully as she approached her new school. The pants beneath were baggier than allowed, and the white shirt was a tank top.

If the teachers wish to live long, healthy lives, they would pretend not to notice.

Kagome coldly observed the tall school building that made up Seika High. It was a sterile environment, cold, unfeeling.

It would do just fine.

After all, she wasn't here to make friends. She was only here to get the education that was required for her to support her family. And once she had it the school could go blow up for all she cared.

The doors opened easily under her delicate hands, and she made her way to the office to get her schedule.

As she entered the office a secretary, who smiled warmly at her, greeted her. That is she smiled warmly before noticing what she was wearing. Then her face tightened.

"Can I help you young lady?" The secretary asked stiffly.

Kagome glanced at the woman before dismissing her, rudely.

"I am Higurashi, Kagome, I'm here for my schedule."

The secretary huffed but typed her name into the computer and printed out her schedule. She handed it to Kagome who made a small show of taking it with disdain.

"Higurashi, I would advise you to wear a fuku or at least a proper gaku-ran tomorrow. Or whenever it is that you next attend school," the woman muttered the last sentence.

Kagome turned and opened the door, giving the secretary one last cold look before leaving. The secretary shivered slightly before returning to her work.

She walked down the hallways with confidence not once had she gotten lost or glanced around. No students were about, all having been ushered safely into their classrooms. The halls were barren and bleak, with tiny pieces of whitewash pealing in the corners. Long windows were evenly space through out the hall, making the hallway, in Kagome's mind, bearable.

Before long Kagome found herself in front of classroom 346. She took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping through. The class became immediately silent and all eyes turned to her.

Without hesitation she walked forward and gave the teacher a letter that had been mail to her house by the principal. The teacher was a man, a preacher by the looks of it, with dark hair, and dark eyes he looked nondescriptly Japanese. The man may have been a bishounen back in his school years.

"Higurashi, I expect you to on time for all future classes," the teacher ordered after reading the letter. He then turned to the class, "Highurashi, Kagome will now be attending this class."

Murmurs arose from the students, and the teacher quieted the class with a single look. When the teacher was satisfied with the silence he turned to her again.

"I believe that there's an empty seat next to Tsukasa, Higurashi."

How dare he order us around 

_**His blood must be spilt**_

_**Let us dissolve his presence**_

Leave him be, he may become a powerful ally 

Kagome was startled that one of the voices protested to the idea of killing the teacher. Previously when she heard the voices they were all in agreement with killing.

Without thinking she took the seat next to the 'Tsukasa' boy. He was blonde with wide, almost innocent purple eyes. He gave her a brief smile before turning back to the lecture the teacher had restarted.

The voice once more returned at Tsukasa's smile.

This one could be a dangerous foe 

_**Do not underestimate this one**_

_**He is a threat that must be dealt with**_

This boy would be a worthy opponent, but will make an even worthier comrade 

Kagome sighed and let her head rest on the desk, cushioned by her arms. These voices were going to drive her insane that is if she wasn't already.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Itsuki came into concious suddenly, but seconds later he realized why with starlying clarity.

"She's here…"

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

He was waiting, always waiting. But now that he knew it would come to pass his endless supply of patience seem to be running thin.

The wind whipped the ends of the cloth that cover his eye around his face. It was a slight annoyance, but he would live with it, after all he had no connection with the wind.

In his field of 'vision' he saw a mass of many colors enter in close proximity of seven other, more solid color, masses.

"It has begun…"

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

Hello all, long time no see!

Everything just seems to break down around me…

On my more expensive list I have:

2 laptops

1 computer

1 portable DVD player

4 CD players

2 CDs

1 printer

1 microwave

and that just the more expensive stuff…

On a happier note it is finally summer vacation and I'm ready to write, so update should be more frequent.

I need to sleep now

Ja ne

. : Review Responses : .

sakurakitsune14 – finals are finally over!

LKLTB – I like the voices, hear them all the time… the erasers are required plus we can't leave them out in space can we now… I don't even know where I'm going with this whole sightless thing.

dulie –You're both right and wrong about Kagome.

chinadoll27 – I think Kagome will be with Itsuki or, if the off chance that doesn't work, Tsukasa. Everyone else is open though!

: . Thanks To . :

regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan

xxprincess-sakuraxx

GinHoshi1985


	5. Chapter Five

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Five : .

It was not long till Kagome was introduced to the force of nature that was called Mana Kirihara. She had been napping peacefully during Nakaura Sensei's lecture, probably a bad choice on her first day of school, her ponytail of waist length hair falling easily over her shoulder. She was oblivious to the world, letting her subconscious take care of the protection of her life

Nakaura Sensei had been called out of the classroom, leaving the students free to talk and so it came to pass that the boy next to her, the one name Tsukasa, rose to speak with one of his friends. Said friend decided that the new student, she who had been sleeping peacefully, needed to be awakened and introduced to new people.

And so she was approached, the light haired girl approached the slumped figure of the new student cautiously, Tsukasa right behind her.

"Higurashi-kun?"

Mana tapped napper's shoulder and got a violent reaction. Higurashi woke up instantly and flipped over the desk that had previously been used as a pillow. Higurashi landed in fighter's crouch eyes only halfway open.

The class was quite as everyone stared at the new kid. Tsukasa moved to stand besides Mana his stance protective. Mana herself only looked at Higurashi with wide eyes.

"Ano… I didn't mean to startle you, Higurashi-kun," Mana soothed.

Kagome stared at the girl who had awaked her. She seemed harmless enough but there was something about her that was disturbing her, enough that the voice weren't whining about the weird boy next to her.

Instead they focused on the girl.

Stay away from that girl 

_**Do not let her touch our person**_

**_Destroy her_**

_**Bathe in her blood**_

She will not be able to affect us, she is useless 

Kagome ignored the voices and straightened, nodding to the class she returned to her seat. She yawned quietly and rested her head back on her arms to continue her nap.

"Higurashi-kun?" Mana questioned.

Kagome turned her head and looked balefully at the girl who had interrupted her nap a second time.

"Yes?"

She knew her eyes were cold, and her voice was smooth and cultured, Sesshomaru would have been proud.

"I-I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Mana Kirihara, and this is one of my friend Tsukasa Amou."

Kagome turned her head and closed her eyes. Her instincts demanded that she stand up and fight with the two students, but common sense stopped her.

Apparently the confrontation had gathered an audience and many viscous, gossipy girls were in her hearing range because many spiteful words came to her ears.

"Look at that little slut, she's out to seduce another poor fool."

"She's already got plenty of boys drooling after her, she doesn't need Higurashi-kun too."

"Poor Higurashi-kun, he might get an STD from just taking to that whore."

"Why do all the boys fall for that fake innocent act?"

Kagome nearly laughed at the jealous fools, they were complete idiots. First off the thought that she was a boy. Second ever she could tell that Kirihara's act was no false and she didn't know her at all, and third if all of rumors were built with the same knowledge as their medical info, well… she just wasn't going to listen to anything they said just in case.

The young miko quickly decided that annoying the wretches in the audience was way more important than achieving her goal for fifteen hours of sleep. And to that point she gracefully got to her feet and bowed to Kirihara and Amou formally.

"As I'm sure you know, I am Higurashi, Kagome. I've just moved into he area as well as transferring to this school and I find it comforting to know that there are such kind people around my new home."

Kagome had emphasized the word 'kind' as she gave a quick glare to the gossips in the audience, before returning her gaze to the people she had just 'complimented'.

The girl blushed and stuttered at the complement, Kagome ignored the reaction and nodded to the boy that stood by her side. Then turning a deaf ear to the mutters and outraged gasps Kagome returned to her sleep and prepared to resume her nap.

"Ano… Higurashi-kun?"

Containing a growl Kagome once again looked up at Kirihara, she was a bit closer now and looked as if she was about to touch her shoulder to get her attention.

"Yes Kirihara-san?"

"Please, just call me Mana and if you want you can come sit with my friends and me at lunch."

Knowing that Mana would bug her till she agreed she gave the only answer that could possibly help her escape and not land her in an even more uncomfortable situation.

"If I awaken in time for lunch, and have any desire to eat, I will join you and your friends for lunch."

Mana nodded happily and she and Amou left. Kagome nearly sighed in relief as she was left alone, finally. More tired than she had started off Kagome left her head fall back onto her arm.

Just as Nakaura Sensei came back in to continue his lecture, Kagome drifted off to her, in her own opinion, well deserved rest.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Itsuki woke with just enough time to beat the every day lunch rush in the cafeteria. Whistling cheerfully her waltzed through the lunch line and came out with the first choice of lunch. Taking a seat at the table he and his friends usually occupied.

And just as he swallowed the first bit of his wonderfully hot slice of pizza, the crowd rushed into the cafeteria. They cafeteria was soon filled and one by one his group arrived at the table. Isshin arrived first, dropping his tray on the table and staring out into space.

"Isshin Sempai?"

Isshin's eyes focused on Itsuki.

"I saw Nakaura on the way here, he told he that Amou sensed that the Eraser Fleet has returned."

Itsuki's eyes widened marginally, this was important news. If the Eraser Fleet had returned from their retreat then something big was defiantly going down. Could this truly be the last phase of the stupid war they were all involved in?

"This is big Isshin Sempai. That strange girl on the Shinkansen, the Eraser fleet, an d that new psychic faction presence we've been sensing, and the growing of other factions and independent groups. This could be the true 'last phase' of the Aquarian Age!" Itsuki whispered enthusiastically.

Isshin frowned thoughtfully, most of the psychics knew of the 'phases' of the Aquarian Age, but no one bothered to give details on it.

"What is the 'last phase' anyway, Itsuki?"

Itsuki frowned thoughtfully gathering all he knew of the subject to try and explain it to Isshin.

"You know what, my mother never expanded on the subject. All she has ever told us was that it was an event, probably a battle that would end this whole war."

"Hello Shiba-kun, 'ello nii-chan," Haruna greeted as she took her seat next to her brother.

"Hello Haruna-chan."

"Hey imouto. Where's Kaname?"

Haruna frowned at her brother then glanced at his tray. She made a noise of disappointment and lifted her own tray.

"Nii-chan, you have to eat healthier food. Kaname-kun was waiting outside Mana-chan and Tsukasa-kun's classroom, so they'll all probably get here at the same time. Here have some of my carrots and peas."

"No thanks, Haruna, I'll just stick with what I have."

Haruna protest and continued to try to force her vegetables on her older brother, Isshin just sat back and watched on in amusement.

"Haruna-chan! Shiba Sempai! Itsuki-kun!"

Mana hurried over to the table and took a seat. Kaname and Tsukasa quietly followed her.

"Hello Mana-chan, boys, having a good day so far?" Haruna asked.

Glad that Haruna had apparently forgotten her plan to make him eat healthier food, Itsuki slumped and continued to eat his pizza. Remembering that he had to inform them about the Shinkansen girl's presence. He motioned Kaname, Isshin, and Tsukasa to bend their head so the girls wouldn't overhear them.

"Yeah Itsuki?" Isshin demanded, put out because he had been forced to stop gazing upon Mana.

"Remember that girl I was talking about, the one that I saw on the Shinkansen?"

"What about her Itsuki-kun?" Tsukasa prompted.

"She's here, at our school."

Tsukasa's face took on an oddly calculating look.

"You know a new kid join Mana-chan and mine's classroom, but I-"

Mana abruptly stood up, attracting the boy's attention and interrupting Tsukasa.

"Higurashi-kun!"

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Kagome turned at the high pitched squeal, Mana was standing waving at her from a table with four guys and another girl at it. She spied the guys she had seen on the Shinkansen and the voices in her head went into overdrive.

It's him 

_**Kill him**_

_**Destroy**_

_**Massacre**_

_**Bathe in the blood of that lowly scum**_

_**Purify him**_

"Higurashi-kun, come sit with us, I want to introduce you to all my friends." 

Feeling sorry for herself, Kagome carried her tray to the table and sat down. The boy she had seen on the Shinkansen was staring at her, unfortunately she was seating right next to him.

"It's you."

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

He sat safely on a shady part of the roof, facing the school though it was not in his power to see at all. In his mind's eye he could see many of the auras in the school clash.

"And so they meet."

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

Yay, another chapter! This one didn't take forever for me to get out either.

Well they all actually get to meet each other in the next chapter, aren't you all super mad at me for ending it there?

Any suggestions are welcomed, opinions too.

Till whenever.

. : Review Responses : .

chinadoll27 – I love Itsuki! The voices will actually have a purpose, you'll see.

Labrinthine Reflection Poison – Your name was so much easier to type before! lol. The main pairing will probably be Kagome and Itsuki.

xxprincess-sakuraxx – Going to my dad's sometime during summer, he signed me up for 'junior lifeguard' classes.

LKLTB – I have enormous statistic electricity when I bounce a basketball. My friend always mutters "damned E.G.O." lol.

. : Thanks To : .

regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan


	6. Chapter Six

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Six : .

Everyone at the table was silent for a few, awkward minutes. The boys looked at Kagome suspiciously while Mana and Haruna looked back and forth between Itsuki and the new kid.

"Do you know Itsuki-kun, Higurashi-kun?" Mana asked, breaking the hush that had befallen the group.

Kagome picked at her rice with her chopstick, eating a slight amount before letting her eyes bore into Itsuki's again. After swallowing the food in her mouth she answered Mana, never looking away from the golden eyes that she held captive.

"We have… encountered each other on a previous occasion. Haven't we, 'Itsuki-kun'," she breathed his name in a mocking tone that put the boy immediately on guard.

Mana was about to inquire further when a troop of girls advanced on the table, coming to a stop in front of Mana. Everyone but Kagome and Mana tensed as the girls glared at the latter, their target. Unfortunately Mana had no idea what was going on and continued to look at the aggravated group in mild curiosity. Kagome continued eating, she appeared to be unconcerned but inside she was glowing with the anticipation of showing up the obnoxious girls around them.

"Mana Kirihara, you have been charged and convicted of using your whorish way to seduced far too many of the bishounen population in this school," one girl announced, reading the world off a sheet of notebook paper.

Mana's eyes darkened and her friends' energies spiked, causing Kagome to look up and watch the proceedings while continuing her meal. The voices in her head had been constantly muttering threats or acceptance to different people of the group, but they all went silent and tensed in anticipation of a fight.

"We, the Seika Bishounen Fan Guild declare that you have to release Higurashi, Kagome from your evil grasp at this very moment!" A second girl shouted.

All of Mana's male friends gave a swift glance in Kagome's direction before returning their attention to the desperate fan guild. Kagome's eyes narrowed even as she lifted more rice to her mouth with her chopsticks as a loud sniffle came from Mana and the girls decided to press on her show of weakness.

"You slut you didn't think we would notice you, using you feminine willies on the boys. We want Higurashi-kun to come with us so he won't be contaminated by your filth!"

Mana's body shook and tears rolled down her face, Kagome continued to observe as Amou and the tallest, eldest boy comforted Mana while the girl, the black haired boy, and 'Itsuki-kun' moved in front of them, shielding the girl from the mob's angry eyes. Kagome was affronted that the girls would use her as a means to hurt the innocent girl they accused of being a whore.

"You are all just jealous of Mana! She's got real friends, so what if most of them are boys, you don't care you just want to target her because she's better than you!" Mana's female friend shouted.

"That slut, better than me? Don't make me laugh! She's not even cute, the only reason guys go for her is because she uses he body to get them to stay with her after they realize her 'innocence' is all an act."

Kagome had, had enough, she slammed her chopsticks down and rose from her seat. Her abrupt action made everyone in the cafeteria, many that weren't even involved just watching, go silent, even Mana's sobs quieted. The ends of Kagome's Chou-ran fluttered angrily as she stalked towards the group of girl, barely pausing to push Itsuki out of her way. Her blue eyes gleamed fiercely as she stared down the group, a few of which pulled out cameras to take picture of the school's new 'bishounen'.

"I have had ENOUGH!" Kagome pronounced each word carefully, it took enormous effort for her to not shout at all the idiots before her. "Has it ever occurred to you that I am not the least bit interested in ANY of you? And since when was I a guy, I'm very certain that I was female this morning."

There was a very awkward silence as everyone digested the fact that the new boy was in fact a girl.

"Y-you're not a guy? How could you do this to us Higurashi? How dare you trick us all into thinking you were a guy!" One of the fan girls cried.

Blowing a stray bang out of her face she hardened her glare.

"I don't recall ever even speaking to you, much less telling you that I was of the male persuasion. Have you ever considered that maybe you're just hot for my body?"

The girls' jaws dropped and Kagome smirked.

"You know it's true."

And so with a collective glare and huff the mob was gone. Kagome sent her glare around the room, causing the cafeteria full of onlookers to scurry off to do their business.

"So, you're the girl Itsuki saw on the Shinkansen."

Kagome turned and gazed evenly at the boy that had spoken, the one with black hair, he was looking at her over Mana's should as he tried to comfort the girl. By now she had learned to identify the different voices in her head. There was only one that spoke of ancient way, and another that spoke of 'God's Righteousness'. There were two darker beings, one that reveled in its darkness and the other that hid in the light. It was the former of the dark voices that sided against the others in letting the black haired boy live.

It seemed that all of the boys here had a voice that argued against killing them except Itsuki, on him all the voices agreed that he must die. Strangely enough Mana nor the other girl rose the voices ire, perhaps a strong sense of feminism? At the moment she didn't particularly care, she was glad that she had a safe group to be around, of course the voices only acted up around supernatural beings, so maybe she could use these boys to get some answers…

The bell rang and put an abrupt end to her thoughts. She turned to give the group that had been waited for her response a glare.

"I have questions for, you will meet me after school at the front gate after school and answer them," and with those final words Kagome stood and walked away.

She stopped behind a corner to hear what they would say, and sure enough they were talking about her.

"Mana, stay close to Tsukasa when you go to class and stay far away from Higurashi."

"Kaname do you really think that this is necessary, Higurashi-kun seemed nice to me," Mana's voice said.

"I know Mana, but there's just something about that girl that rub the guys and me the wrong way."

So, they didn't trust her.

That was good, if she couldn't trust herself then no one should be able to.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

There was just something about that girl, Kagome Higurashi was her name wasn't it? Yes there was the whole Shinkansen incident and this fan girl one too, but there was something more.

She had power he could sense it, but for all his year of identifying opposing factions he couldn't place hers.

All he knew was that she was powerful they needed her on their side if they wanted to come out on top in this damned war that she was the key to ending.

And so he headed tot he roof to think about this puzzling female. It was just going to be another class Naoya Itsuki skipped out on.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

He could sense a mass of psychics entering the city, all of them gathering and trying to locate her.

They all knew that something was going to happen and they all knew that she was the key.

And so all he had to do was sit back and see if the ending of the Aquarian Age would be as glorious as the beginning.

After all it was guaranteed to be worth his while.

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

That was a little weird to write…

Anyway, I'm leaving for my dad's tomorrow so I don't know when the next update will be. My dad in addition to being a health nut is determined to get me off the computer and out of the house.

I know it's been a pain waiting for them to meet and no one really knows each others names yet, but one day all of you will look back on it and think that you're glad that I didn't rush the meeting… At least I hope you will.

Till I write again

. : Review Responses : .

Kitty Mew 2005 – you write one and I'll be sure to read and review it, okay?

regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan – Juvenile Orion is a manga, but Auarian Age is a card game (all the JO boys are cards) and there is a anime, but the anime stars all girls and has nothing to do with the JO caracters.

chinadoll27 – Here's your soon as possible! Kagome just seems to be getting into even more and more uncomfortable situations, don't you think?

LKLTB – Not so much clash here but what can you expect right in the middle of the cafeteria? Just you wait till she get them alone, then we'll all see what Kagome can do! Personally I have no idea what is up with the weird guy in the tree he just came and stuck… He creeps me out too…

Julie – Hmm… Not a bad idea. I really like it, if I use it you get a chapter dedication!

: . Thanks To . :

xxprincess-sakuraxx


	7. Chapter Seven

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Seven : .

_**You are ignorant**_

_**Blinded**_

_**You cannot yet see what their true form is**_

_**But we will help you**_

_**For you are us**_

_**And we are you**_

_**And when you are unseeing**_

_**Our senses are dulled too**_

_**So we will give you a gift**_

_**New eyes to see the world from**_

_**And then…**_

_**Perhaps…**_

_**You will understand…**_

_**What you truly…**_

_**Are**_

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Kagome woke up just as the bell rang, the voices that normally hounded her while she was awake had now invaded her dreams. Blinking the blur from her eyes she remained seated till everyone left the room then with a sleepy yawn she jumped out of room, via window, and into a tree.

She had an appointment to keep.

_**New eyes to see the world**_

_**And the vision…**_

_**To see the monsters**_

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

They were all waiting by the front gate, even Nakaura was there thank to Shiba, who was in his class for the last part of the day.

"My, my, my you all came. I'd never expected you to bring Mana into his, my being a possible threat and all. Oh and Nakaura Sensei is one of you to, I never would have guessed."

They spun and found Kagome lounging onto of the school wall.

"Hm, interesting…"

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

She could see flashes besides them, just out of the corner of her eyes, besides Mana who only was followed by a strange aura

The black haired boy morphed into a fierce, tall demon with leathery black wings, blank eyes, and sharp horns.

Nakaura Sensei hardly change save for looking much more formal and formidable, he has holding something that resembled a cross on a chain in his hand.

The eldest boy changed into a monk, or something of the sort, he wore interesting Chinese-ish clothing and had tattoos on the backs of his hands.

The kawaii blond boy's change was dramatic, he had longer hair, a weird outfit, and two pair of wings, one of which sprouted from his head.

The other girl, the one that looked like 'Itsuki-kun' took the appearance of a more modern version of the real fortunetellers she remembered from back in the Sengoku Jidai, the ones that could see all the sins of the world and looked about with haunted eyes.

'Itsuki-kun' hadn't changed much either his outfit changed but she couldn't get a good look at it. A wind swirled rapidly around him, lose panels of clothing around precariously, but they never once got in his way. And his eyes were gleaming with its gold brilliance, golden eyes that reminded her of her past mistakes and her shattered being.

"Hm, interesting…"

Kagome didn't realize that she had spoken out loud till she ended up on the receiving end of several weird looks. Mentally sighing at the horrible impression it must have made, she decided to begin again.

"I know something's going on. Won't one of you be so kind as to inform me of what it is?" Kagome asked mockingly.

The group was silent, Nakaura Sensei gave her a critically examining look that teachers were so good at while everyone else huddled to discuss the subject. Kagome yawned as she watched the people below her discuss whether or not they would tell her what the hack was going on, she soon found that she had no patience for such idioticy when she would come by the information whether or not they liked it and so she told them.

"I don't have all day. If you won't tell me I learn what I must elsewhere."

That was all it took.

Itsuki was chosen to be the 'spokes person' of the group, seeing as he knew more about the war and her than any of his companions.

"A wars has been raging for thousands of years, a secret war that no normal people know about, we call this damn time the Aquarian Age. There are five 'sides' called factions and the mind breakers, like Mana, that can win them to their side. My sister, Haruna and mine's faction is E.G.O., the Evolutionary Girls Organization, a group of humans with supernatural abilities.

"Another faction is the Darklore, who seemed to have inherited their powers from the ancient demons, Kaname here is a Darklore," Itsuki paused to gesture towards the black haired boy.

Itsuki next pointed to the adorable blonde boy, "Tsukasa is an Eraser, they're extremely powerful with their ability to erase enemies in an instant."

The eldest, red headed boy was next, "Isshin Sempai is Arayashiki, they inherited the magic of the orient.

"And finally, Nakaura Sensei is Wiz-Dom, which is the western association of spiritual leaders."

"So what faction am I?" Kagome asked.

They all looked to Shiba for an answer since he the most experienced at reading auras. Shiba frowned thoughtfully as he gazed at her in concentration.

"I cannot tell, it's like you're aura is mixed."

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

He could hear them from atop his perch and smirked at the Arayashiki's answer.

"You don't know how right you are."

And so he focused on the swirling colors. The nearly emerald, but slightly blue tinted swirl of the Darklore that gleamed like a gem in the light. The fantastic pure light that shined like a thousand stars from the Eraser. The strict navy blue that shimmer with the power of a foreign god from the Wiz-Dom. The light, warm blue from the god of Japan radiated from the Arayashiki. The metallic silver of technology swirling with an undercurrent of the E.G.O. boy's own wind and his sister's with a blackish taint in its stead. And finally the strange mixed sensation of the girl that was the key.

"You just don't know how right you are."

: . End Chapter . :

. : Author's Note : .

This chapter is a little weird isn't it? I blame it on the fact I'm totally exhausted from walking my dad's dogs. They dragged my brother and me everywhere. It was sort of fun though.

I feel like time is passing by so fast one day it's Saturday and then, suddenly it's Friday. And for some strange reason it makes me think of death, and this makes me cry at random times hours after getting rid of the thoughts. So I think I'm going somewhat insane, but I'll know for sure when I start hearing voices like Kagome does…

I really hope that doesn't happen.

'Cause those voices are really freaky.

Ciao

: . Review Responses . :

Kitty Mew 2005 – I don't know if it's up there but Labyrinthine Reflection Poison wrote two, there Amou/Kagome. Yes write a JO/IY crossover, tell me and I'll read it… It's a really good idea to write the story down first then you can fix it up and close the plot holes before posting, I have no patience to do that at all.

regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan – I'd think girls chasing down another girl they thought was a guy was funny to, especially with Kag's 'hot body' comment.

LKLTB – I know those fan girls are evil, Mana doesn't even have any powers to fight them with. Although she's got a mini army of bishis to do her bidding…

chinadoll27 – Good for you, I don't know if I've got the stuff to try this patience thing out though.

Julie – I really like to but heart breaking moments in my stories, I really don't think a story is complete without one, though I prefer having happy endings.

. : Thanks To : .

SphereShadow

Sora the Taske

Evfrosyne


	8. Chapter Eight

(( Dedication )) (( Julie your idea was stuck in my head while I was in the car all of yesterday and it formulated into the up and coming plot of this story. So from this point forward this story is dedicated to you))

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Eight : .

The quiet that had been suffocating the group disapated with the ringing of the Junior High School across the street.

Kagome sat up and slid off the wall, landing slightly crouched on the ground. Mana hesitantly moved towards here and reach out to touch her arm, but Kagome straightened and pulled out of her reach.

"Ano, Higurashi-kun will you join our group?"

She looked back at the group, she liked them but her instincts were pulling at her to kill them, especially 'Itsuki-kun'. She truly believe that if she were to join any particular side this would be the right one, but could she actually do it and hold back her instincts so she wouldn't betray them later?

"I will think about it. There are some thing about this war that I am unsure of and I do not know if I wish to be apart of another mad struggle for power."

And she was gone, walking swiftly across the street and away from the people she may become involved with.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"What do you think about her?"

The group all turned to Itsuki, who had voiced the question.

"I don't know, but she has not been mind breaked like we were when we met Mana," responded Kaname.

"She's very different from you guy, but I feel an affinity with her…" Haruna whispered.

"Now we just have to decide whether that is a good or bad thing, and then what we'll do about it," Nakaura added.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Kagome didn't see Souta anywhere, but she specifically remember telling him to met her at the front gate when school was over. She scanned around as she made her way into the junior high school, hoping to see him and thereforth not having to talk to any more idiotic school officals.

He was no where to be found.

She was really worried now. Souta pull many pranks but he knew not to cross the line and in her head a sign was flashing, reading 'line, one mile back'.

Shoving the door to the office violently aside, Kagome stormed into the room. An older student was behind the secretary desk and he was watching her alertly.

"Can I help you miss?" He asked politely.

"I can't find my brother, Souta Higurashi could you page him for me?"

The boy looked briefly baffeled but then scurried about the desk grabbing papers that he sent flying with his every movment.

"Higurshi, hm… Ah here it is. One Higurashi Souta was picked up just after one by his father," the boy read.

Kagome paled and slammed her fist onto the desk. The boy coward backwards in his swirly chair, trying to escape or at least find a shield from her wrath.

"You better be joking, my fathers been dead for at least a decade," she growled.

"I-I'm s-sorry ma'am but I have no idea what's g-going on."

_**It was an enemy**_

**_They taken the only other like us_**

_**We will have revenge**_

_**Even if it means siding with those we wish to kill**_

_**Find those whom you were deaing with earlier**_

_**They WILL help us**_

_**And kami help those who dared to cross us**_

_**Because we expect a decent fight**_

_**And no mortal would be able to withstand our wrath for long**_

Listening to the demanding voices in her head she left the boy at the desk abruptly and turned to leave, voicing one last threat as she exited the room.

"If he's harmed you will receive twice them injuries he suffers."

Before she had time to think she was outside and crossing the streets. The group she had left only minutes ago had only just let and she could see them walking in the direction opposite of her.

_**Get them NOW**_

_**They might know some information**_

_**Or they may help us get him back**_

_**And if not…**_

_**We can always find someone else**_

**_And wreak vengeance on them_**

_**After Souta is safe**_

Kagome ran after them, they had a head start but were walking so it didn't take long for her to get within hearing distance.

"WAIT!"

She could hear the desperation in her own voice but could help it, _Souta was missing_, who cared if they though she was weak. Kagome certainly didn't. Itsuki turned and saw her, he got the attention of the rest of the group and they stopped and waited for her to catch up to him.

"Did something happen Higurashi-kun?" Mana asked.

"My brother's been taken," Kagome whispered.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

He could 'see' everything that happen, sense her anguish.

Something in him was crumbling.

Turning he searched for an aura that match the girl's. He found another mixed aura a ways off and what he could tell was happening to the person, who was no doubt the 'key's' brother, was horrifying.

It had happen to him also.

He was off, he would save the boy child, or at least find someway to spare the boy the fate that he, himself was doomed to live.

He had been correct in the assumption that the end of the war would be spectacular but he underestimated his involvement.

Such a pity, he did truly hate to be wrong.

: . End Chapter . :

. : Author's Note : .

Alright it was a short chapter but I will return soon, I probably will update this much more frequently in hopes of finishing it before school starts.

An so the myserious observer will soon be taking an active part in this story, and so will Souta. The part is growing way too big and so I will fins thing to do with most of them so they won't all be present at once.

'C ya

: . Review Responses . :

Evfrosyne – I know but I don't really like happy-happy Kagome all that much.

regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan – ciao is pronounced "chow", like food, butyou know I had no idea what it was the first couple of time I saw it either, but that's foreign languages for you.

LKLTB – Most likely, but on the off chance I change my mind she'll be with Tsukasa.

Julie – What you're leaving just when I seriously need your help! T-T Come back soon because I want you to create what you want Noya Ai to look like, him being your character and all, but he'll be the sightless that has been watching the events. The one at the ends of the chapters, with the bandana/cloth thing over his eyes.

Kitty Mew 2005 – ooh, KagSess I'll have to go check it out. I dream of Itsuki…

. : Thanks To : .

chinadoll27


	9. Chapter Nine

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Nine : .

What had happened? Souta groggily sat up and looked around the room, or cell rather. He was laying on a hard futon made out of straw and the only way out seemed to be through a barred door.

"Onee-chan?" He called quietly.

His words rang ominously in what he would now call a dungeon. The only source of light, a single torch, flickered slightly causing him to whimper. He wasn't afraid of the dark, but he was afraid of being locked in here in the dark.

Souta sat back down on the futon, huddling and tried to think of what had happened before he had awakened here.

Kagome had taken him to school and had dropped him off at the principal's office. He had talked to the secretary who had a student working as an office assistant escort him to class. He had introduced himself and sat down till lunch. When they had gotten back from lunch he had been called down to the office and…

That was all he remembered.

"I'm been abducted…" He whispered horrified.

"Aww has the puppy awakened?" A sinister, at least it was to him, asked.

The torched light went out and Souta huddled closer into himself. He could hear footsteps approaching his cell and the grinding of the cell door as it opened. It was pitch black and he couldn't see the hand even after it grabbed his arm.

"Come on puppy, we're going to give you new eyes."

"Let go of me!"

"Nuh-uh, no can do puppy."

He was dragged form the room, kicking and wriggling in a sad attempt to escape. The hand was firm pulling him along and up a staircase. The door opened and bright light poured over him blinding him momentarily.

"You and I are going to have a fun time together puppy."

Souta's eyes cleared and he saw he was standing in a room that bore an uncanny resemblance to a doctor's office, but Souta had a sinking feeling that the man he was with was in no way a professional doctor.

"Now, now puppy, take a seat and we'll get started."

Before Souta could react he found himself bound tightly to the chair with a man he could only describe as beautiful, looming above him. The man's golden hair fell around his face and the light reflected off of it, giving him a halo, and his eyes were a golden hue so much different than the hanyou his sister had once traveled with.

The man was holding a scary scalpel and Souta felt the sinking in his stomach intensify.

This could not be even remotely good.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"What do you mean you we can't go find him?" Kagome cried.

"Tsukasa isn't picking up any abnormal energies, we have nothing to go on," Nakaura told her calmly. He gave her a critical look and added, "You need to calm yourself down, Higurashi."

"Calm myself down! My brother has been abducted and you want me to do nothing and calm down!" Kagome demanded. "Well even if you're not going to help I'll find him myself!"

Kagome ran off without waiting for the protest that was sure to follow. The group watched her leave, frustrated.

"Someone needs to go with her," Mana announced.

The boys were nearly speechless with disbelief but one word slipped out of all their mouths in unison.

"What?"

Mana was calm as she explained, though her eyes were slightly wet. "She's seriously concerned about her brother, and she was asking our help even though, for all she knows we could be the ones behind it." She looked at the boys and stabbed a finger in their direction. "Because we can't all go rushing off, one of you are going to go with her in case she runs into something. The rest of us will be here and if Tsukasa-kun senses anything we'll go investigate."

The boys threw looks at each other, trying to silence convince one of their number to voulenteer to go after the girl who had only shown a softer emotion in the wake of her brother's disappearance. The plan failed.

Haruna stood by Mana knowing that she would have to go no where and let the boys try and escape the inevitable.

"I'm staying with Mana," Kaname stated firmly.

"I will stay with Tsukasa," Nakaura added.

Isshin and Itsuki looked at each other, staring off.

"You run fast," Itsuki pointed out.

"I am no match for the wind," Isshin commented.

Mana smiled happily, catching onto Kanames hand and hugging it cheerfully.

"Then it's settled, Itsuki-kun will go after her."

Knowing that they would all stand firm on this decision Itsuki turned and speed after the girl.

"They send me off after a girl who hates me for no apparent reason and I'm going to be late, at the very least, for my job."

With a little help from his powers he caught up with her easily. She glared at him and he knew he was doom when he spotted the tears in her eyes.

He was a sucker for tears.

"Leave me alone."

"The rest are going to wait till Tsukasa senses something, but I'm going with you."

"I don't nee your pity."

"Good cause you ain't going to get it. Now, where are we going?"

"I don't know but the voices are telling me to go this way."

She ran faster and left Itsuki alone to interpret her words in whatever way he liked. Kagome allowed the voices free rein over her feet and she soon found herself run at a speed fast than she had ever achieved before.

After lots of running the pair found themselves in a runned down part of the city, in front of an old office building.

Kagome stood on the porch, hesitant to go any further and gave one last indefinable look at Itsuki before touching the door knob.

A shrill scream launched her into sudden action.

Souta!

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

This place…

How he hated this place.

He remembered this place so well though it was burned into his brain. The white walls, the dusty furniture, the cracked ceiling.

The last place he had ever been able to see.

If there ever was a place that was truly cursed, this would be it.

He entered through a window, and then carefully navigated through the hallway and down some stairs.

The boy was close, and so were the girl and E.G.O.

And that cursed man as well…

He jumped over another stair railing and land soundlessly on the ground. The tails of the bandana that covered his unseeing eyes fluttered at his quick, precise movements.

With his superior hearing he could make out the sound of a struggle.

The man was just tying the boy down then?

"This will only hurt a bit, puppy."

Oh how he loathed that cruel voice!

A shrill scream made him desperate.

A wicked laugher weaved through the scream.

And he knew that he was too late.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"I know it hurts, puppy, but one day you'll thank me."

Souta curled into himself crying, his faces clutched over his face.

The pain washed over his, beating over him like waves on the shore, and he could do nothing. His mind remained fixated on a single moment in time.

As long as he lived Souta was sure that he would never forget the torment of having a scorching blade slice through his eyes.

The sense of seeing was now completely lost to him.

"Onee-chan…"

"Now, now don't do delusional on me, puppy. We've yet to see if you have been gifted with the sight'."

Souta could only wonder what the hell the man was talking about. The man had just cut through his eye and he though he could actually still see?

His tormentor abruptly yanked his hands away from their protective position over his eyes.

Souta was immediately bombarded with colored clouds floating in his view. In the direction of the scary man was a metallic looking cloud and there were three different clouds heading in his direction. He focused on a mixed swirl that seemed familiar to him, though the mystic purple cloud was closer.

The harder he focused the more the cloud shifted till he could she a face in it.

Kagome!

When the hands on his wrist disappeared Souta came back to his current predicament. The purple cloud was now extremely close and hovering over the metallic cloud, which had been blown back. The cloud that Souta guessed was the man that cut him was growing fainter and fainter, till it disappeared completely.

His tormenter was dead.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Tsukasa shot up from his seat.

"I sense something!"

"Could it be them, or is it just another renegade psychic?" Nakaura questioned.

"It very weird, like nothing I've ever sensed before, but it is in the direction Itsuki-kun went."

Kaname stood and helped Mana to her feet.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Mana asked.

Tsukasa started off in the direction the weird sensation originated from, everyone else followed closely behind, mentally preparing for battle.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

She was so close, she could feel it.

Kagome skidded to a stop and ran back into the hallway that she had passed in her rush. Itsuki followed cautiously, careful not to get in her way. He was probing his mind, trying to figure out why this place seemed so familiar.

"I got it," he announced aloud.

"Got what?"

"This place used to be the E.G.O. headquarters before they moved it under the hospital."

"So what were all these rooms?"

"Offices, training rooms, storage, a medical bay, a few filing rooms, a cell, and I think a lab or two."

"Whoa."

"I know."

Kagome came to a stop suddenly so suddenly that Itsuki nearly ran into her. She threw open the door in front of her and ran inside, skidding to a stop in the middle of the room.

"Souta!"

: . End Chapter . :

. : Author's Note : .

I will focus on this chapter as soon as Julie writes back 'k? But for now enjoy this chapter, in which you will all think I am mean because of Souta.

This office building however will be important, and will have something to do with both Souta and Kagome, and their mom too.

So sit back, relax, and speculate on where my twisted mind is taking you.

Enjoy!

: . Review Responses . :

regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan – Personally I never do my homework, but somehow it never really matters though it's either 30 or 20 percent of our grade… For some reason I can't remember the numbers…

chinadoll27 – He's an OC created by Julie, whom can take a great deal of the credit for the current outline of the story. YAY JULIE!

LKLTB – Aww, Kagome didn't get to him first…

Evfrosyne – Yay for the plot! And Julie! … Author's and un-promptness seem to go together…

Kitty Mew 2005 – We're authors, we can take all the time in the world because we move it. Lol, that make really no sense at all does it.

xxprincess-sakuraxx – Welcome back!

Chiisana-Tori-chan – I'm trying to squish the universes together as best as I can… I like the voices, there very descrutive…

. : Thanks To : .

blackdarnzer92

AnimeMoonlightGoddess

evilmaniac


	10. Chapter Ten

(( Dedication )) (( Julie has contacted me and so this story will now continue. Yay for Julie! ))

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Ten : .

"Souta!" His name rang through the room errily.

"Onee-chan?"

Kagome ran to her little brother and embraced him, but when she held him away from her to look into his eyes she was horrified.

"Kami, Souta, what happened to you?"

Blood was dripping down his face, originating from the long slash over his eyes and the shorter, jagged cut one over his left. To Kagome it was obvious that Souta would never see again.

"I knew you would come, Kagome Onee-chan."

And Souta passed out in the safe cradle of his sister's arms.

Her eye searched the room and rested on the young man standing over a freshly killed body. His hair was silvery red and his eyes were covered by a green bandana, she wondered if he was also marked as Souta now was.

"My apologies."

His words sent a shiver down her spine but she knew exactly what his cryptic words were referring to.

"Why?"

"I didn't get here on time," he held a navy blue bandana out to her. "He might want this."

"Higurashi?"

Itsuki peeked into the room and found Kagome holding her brother, a body lay on the ground nearby and he immediately went to investigate it.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, he was dead when I arrived."

"Hm… Is your brother unharmed?"

"He'll never see again."

Itsuki paused just as he was about to turn over the man and shot a sympathetic look in her direction.

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged, "it's not your fault."

After turning back to what he was doing he analyzed the features of the dead man. The corpse looked oddly familiar but he could place it and just as he felt as if he was on the verge of a breakthrough the door was slammed open again.

"Itsuki-kun?" Mana's voice called.

"The abductor is dead," Itsuki called back.

"Alright then let's leave," Kaname said.

Haruna stepped farther into the room, looking around and examining every inch of the visable from her position.

"Itsuki isn't this?"

"Yeah."

Her eyes snapped to meet his, horrified.

"But that means…"

"Probably."

Isshin glared at them both, "I don't understand a thing you're saying."

"The person whom abducted and cut Higurashi's brother was probably E.G.O." Itsuki announced.

"Cut? Is he okay, Tsukasa-kun see if you can heal him," Mana said.

"That's who he is!" Itsuki exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"He's our uncle, Haruna."

Everyone was slightly stunned at his announcement and took a couple of seconds to process the news. Tsukasa snapped out of it first and went back to checking up on Souta while Kagome hovered around them.

"I can't fully heal his eyes, he'll never see again but I can make the pain go away," Tsukasa announced.

Souta whimpered in his sleep and Kagome growled in frustration.

"Just do it!" She snapped.

The boy on the ground closed his eyes and a soft glow wrapped around him and big, feathery wings grew from his head. His clothing changed too, and he appeared just as Kagome had seen earlier from the corner of her eye.

_**Do you not see**_

_**This is that scum's true form**_

_**A monstrosity**_

_**He has lost the wings on his back**_

_**This boy may be more worthless than we once thought**_

_**Or he could prove to be of far more use**_

After the voices' commentary Kagome watched the Tsukasa more carefully. White feather floated around the room and the winged boy placed a hand over Souta's eyes. A soft glow covered both of them similar to her arrows, only the glow white instead of pink.

Knowing Souta was in safe hands she turned o the rest of the group, whom were discussing their present situation.

"So Itsuki and Haruna's uncle had disappeared a year or so ago only to return now and begin some weird, criminal activities?" Kaname questioned.

"That sums it up," Itsuki confirmed.

"But what was he doing. He cut that boy's eyes, it's so horrible," Mana said softly.

"He said he was giving me new eyes."

They turned and found a conscious Souta trying to stand with a now normal Tsukasa's help. Kagome scrambled to her brother's side and gave him a little hug.

"I'm so glad you're safe now Souta. I sorry for not being there to protect you and I'll watch out for better from now on," she babbled giving his a second tighter hug.

"What did your uncle mean about giving him new eyes? Was he going to replace them with a different set or something?" Nakaura voiced the questions.

"I know what he means," Souta whispered.

"Souta?"

Kagome's voice was soft giving him courage and assuring him that he didn't have to talk about it if he didn't want to. But Souta wanted to tell them, he wanted to help these people for some strange reason. It was like a gut feeling, or a voice speaking in his head.

"I can see, but not like I used to… You're all glowing, colored clouds…" Souta said, struggling to find the right words for what he wanted to say. "Kagome you're mixed and the guy that saved me was a cool purple color. The evil dude who did this to me was a metallic color like the guy who followed you and also like another person in this room… I think it's a girl."

"What guy that saved you? No other guy as here when I came in," Itsuki asked.

"When I came in there was a guy standing over your uncle, I know he's the once who killed him and rescued Souta. I think he was like Souta, he was wearing a bandana over his eyes. Oh," Kagome tied the blue bandana she was still holding over Souta's scared eyes. "He told me to give you this, he was very kind."

Itsuki looked as if he was going to make a comment when he spotted the soft look of admiration on her face but Isshin spoke first.

"I think your brother is seeing our auras. I get the same feelings when I look for them, the mixed feeling of yours and the metallic tang of Itsuki's and Haruna's."

A cloud form in the middle of the room swirling in its self at a dizzying rate, Kagome could soon make out the face of the man who had saved Souta in the middle of the swirling vortex.

"You are quiet correct, young Arayasiki. Souta is 'seeing' auras."

"Who are you?" Kaname demanded.

"I am Naoya Ai, currently the most powerful of my faction, the Sightless, which Souta has just joined."

"Sightless?" Kagome whispered.

Noya's face turned to her and tipped slightly as if he was bowing respectfully.

"The Sightless are called such because they cannot see. Originally we were of other factions, then someone make our eyes unusable and because the experience is very traumatic our powers try to protect us. But with us tied down and incapable as we are at that point our power tries to go out through our eyes. This doesn't work if they're destroyed, and so the powers find other ways to work and a Sightless is 'born'. In the next few days Souta will start gaining new abilities so you may want to keep him out of school for the next week or so just in case."

Kagome hugged Souta as she listened to the man words, feeling as if she had to keep in contact with him or something terrible would happen. The rest of the group was also listening attentively.

"You seem to know a lot, just how old are you?" Itsuki questioned.

"I was there at the beginning of the Aquarian Age."

"Impossible that was thousands of years ago," Isshin argued.

"You'd be amazed at what you can live through."

"Since you were there at the beginning, can you tell us anything about the 'key'?" Itsuki asked, disregarding Isshin's outburst.

"The key to the end of the Aquarian Age is before you and you'll need both her and her brother to finish what she couldn't many years ago."

"Anything else that you could tell us about this war?" Kagome asked.

"The E.G.O is hiding many things, and they have much more in common with the Erasers that anyone cares to admit. One such secret of the E.G.O. involves your family, and the supposed 'unification of the factions', this has much to do with your mother's illness. Be sure that you take caution for if the factions are not all represented at the finally battle, it will not be."

"I don't understand-"

"I must go, but in one weeks time I will return to train you, Souta."

And the cloud disappeared.

"That was so weird," Isshin commented.

And Kagome's moodiness returned.

"Don't know why I was surprised. Things are always appearing and disappearing. Floating heads have already been done too," she sighed and whispered softly, "though I've never seen it done with such a kind, beautiful man."

"Kagome…"

"I know, I know, I just can't help it."

Souta giggled, "you're so weird Onee-chan."

"Pfft, don't I know it."

Souta pouted, "you always have to have the last word don't you?"

She smirked. "But of course."

The group watched the siblings in both amusement and wonder. Was this truly the same girl who had dealt with them so coldly?

"I told you she truly cared for her brother," Mana whispered to Kaname.

He nodded, wondering how Mana knew these things about people. True anyone could see the panic in the girl when she had come to them for help but seeing her acting so loving with the boy was something entirely different.

Itsuki absently looked at his watched but returned his gaze to the siblings as if in a trance. However he soon did a double take and launched himself out of his seat.

"I'm late for work!" He shouted.

"That means I late as well," Haruna sighed.

And Itsuki left the room without saying goodbye, though Haruna waved before exiting. Kagome and Souta watched his actions with amusement but then they also prepared to leave.

"Where are you two heading off to?" Mana asked curiously.

"Hospital," Kagome replied curtly.

Souta elabortated, "we have to get a note from the doctor so I can wear the bandana at school, and we're going to visit Oka-san."

"Oh," Mana said quietly.

"Didn't that guy say something about your family?" Isshin thought out loud.

Kagome turned and met his eyes, shocking the boy because he had not expected anyone to hear him.

"We cannot learn any more about that till our mother regains consciousness," she said blandly.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Mana said knowing how it felt to lose a parent.

Kagome shrugged, "she's not dead yet, I'm sure she'll hold out."

"Kagome…" Souta's voice took on a warning tone.

"Dammit Souta! She knew what was going on. She knew she was ill too, and she didn't see fit to tell us. But I should have noticed anyways, I should have know Souta."

Souta hugged her and the pair made their way out of the room, escaping the watching eyes of the group.

"Oka-san is good at hiding things Kagome. Unless she wants us to, we won't know about whatever."

"I just hate being kept in the dark Souta."

"I know."

"I'm going to shout at her when she wakes up."

"And I won't even try to stop you."

She glared at him, "I hate it when you're condescending attitude, especially when it's directed at me."

"That's okay, I'll do it anyway."

He took of running getting a few seconds head start before she started after him.

"Souta, I'm going to hurt you!"

"I love you too," he called back.

She continued to chase after him, all the way to the hospital, muttering to herself, "I'll show him how much I- Souta!"

"Yes Kagome?"

"How can you see where you're going?"

That stopped him cold and Kagome caught up to him, standing by his side and take his hand in hers.

"I-I don't know… I just knew where to run."

Kagome squeezed her brother tightly and he made gagging noises, which she studiously ignored.

"Souta this is fabulous!"

"I'm always fabulous," he wheezed.

For once she willingly surrendered the last words, too happy to argue any future with him.

It seemed as if those abilities were coming sooner than she thought they would.

: . End Chapter . :

. : Author's Note : .

And the mystery man has been revealed!

And now I must go.

Ja ne

: . Review Responses . :

LKLTB – Everyone was surprised, I guess I've still got it. You're close but I'm not going to tell you out right.

chinadoll27 – I know, I was nearly sick when I thought of how it must feel to hae that happen to you.

Evfrosyne – lol, I love that word, huggles.

regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan – My parents get on my case when I got a C on a report card even though they always say 'we don't care what grades you get as long as you try your best'.

Chiisana-Tori-chan – When I listen to those voice I seem to end up in some or of trouble…

Go Drink Pinesol – I don't think there will be too many spoilers… But there will probably be a few of them.

Julie – It's not all your fault, I seemed to have made the experience far more tramatic than expected.

Evilmaniac – I'd hate that meomory too if it was mine.

Kitty Mew 2005 – They don't call inspiration a bitch for no reason.


	11. Chapter Eleven

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Eleven : .

"Hi Oka-san," Kagome greeted softly.

There was no response, not that she actually expected one.

"I see that they gave you a nice room."

The room was indeed nice, the walls colored soft pastels and a pair of large windows that looked into the hospital's inner courtyard.

"Souta and I started school today and I wore the chou-ran that you bought me. Everyone thought I was a guy and I even got targeted by the fan guild."

A life support system stood nearby, just in case it became needed.

"I met this group of people at school one of them, a girl, was really nice to me and I saw one of the boy on the bullet train when Souta and I moved into the city."

The IV dripped steadily in its bag.

"They told me about the Aquarian Age."

The monitor at the bedside beeped at a steady rate, the line moving steadily.

"Then Souta was kidnapped."

For a second Kagome almost thought that the monitor skipped a beat.

"Some man cut his eyes. He'll never see again."

Kagome imagined that her mother's skin paled, but of course recently it had always been such.

"This really nice, cute guy saved him, his name is Noya Ai. He's a Sightless too, just like Souta is now."

Her mother had never been the same after her first bought of this 'sickness'.

"He said he'd come back in a week to train Souta, he even gave us a bandana to tied over his eyes."

Why no one had done anything after Mother had first gotten sick was still a mystery to her.

"Souta is with the doctor right now, he needs a pass to wear the bandana to school."

The curtains were open over the windows allowing as much sunlight as possible in.

"We're both going to be involved in the Aquarian Age now, Oka-san."

Still not much light got through the windows, only enough to cast a faint glow.

"And we know that you have something to do with the war. And something about the E.G.O.'s unification scheme."

Kagome smiled faintly at her mother as she sensed someone approach the room, and patted her mother's hand comfortingly.

"I love you, Momma."

The door opened quietly behind her but she didn't turn. Soft footsteps came closer to her and stopped at her side. Kagome didn't flinch but kept her eyes on her mother.

"Kagome?"

She barely moved at all.

"Did the doctor give you the pass?"

Souta knelt next to his sister and took her hand, holding it much in the same way Kagome held her mothers.

"Yup, but he asked why the wounds were so healed if I had been attacked today."

She made a mental note that the doctor was a nosy man. He shouldn't have asked, he should've just been grateful he had another job that he could charge them for.

"What did you say?"

Souta smiled and gave his unconscious mother a peck on the cheek before answering.

"I told him that we have a friend that's a doctor and he treated it on the way here, but had to leave for work so he couldn't meet him."

She supposed that it was somewhat true. The normal human doctor probably couldn't handle the true story anyways.

"The doctor's a buffoon."

Souta giggled but nodded his head in agreement.

"Did you have a nice visit with mother?"

Kagome had to wonder why had asked such a silly question.

"It was fine."

Souta stood and tugged on her arm.

"Then can we leave?"

She should have guessed that he was impatient.

"Sure."

Souta had never like hospitals.

"Bye, bye Mom. See you later."

He kissed her pale cheek again before dragging Kagome to the door.

"I love you, Mother."

Kagome allowed her brother to pull her completely from the room.

Giving it a second though Kagome figured that she didn't care much for hospitals either, especially this one.

And so she never looked back.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

How tiresome this job had become.

"Itsuki, tell the cook I need three number sixes."

He yawned and did as Haruna had ordered him to.

"Here you go boy-o, three sixes."

Itsuki took the order from the fast cooking chef and handed it to his sister.

"Thanks Itsuki."

Haruna smiled brightly at him.

"You're welcome, now go."

How did he get pulled into work when he was behind the bar, anyways?

"Hey you! Can'st I get a refill?"

Shrugging he went and brought the man his alcoholic beverage.

"Here you are, sir. Is there anything else I can get for you?"

Mentally he hoped the man said no.

"Naw, but aren't you a wee bit young to be working the bar?"

Well technically…

"No I just turned twenty-two last summer."

What a liar.

"Aw, sorry to bother you, my good man."

But how will you make up for it?

"It's fine."

He turned and left the man to drown in his drink.

"Itsuki."

He really needed a new part time job.

"Yeah?"

One without Haruna.

"Get me a four and a kettle of green tea please."

Because if he was honest with himself…

"Sure, hang on a sec."

… He was the only reasonable one in his family.

"Thanks."

And the rest of his family…

"Here."

… Worked way too hard.

Plus he was getting so many bad signals here.

And so, he quit.

: . End Chapter . :

. : Author's Note : .

Wow this chapter shorter than the one I put up a couple of hours ago.

Nine pages to five.

But I like this chapter, though it is a little random.

So you got to see Kagome visit her mother, which seemed more than a little sinister. And there's also the strange lack of voices…

And you got to see Itsuki at work and lying about his age.

The bad signals thing is about the orders, 666 and four which is a bad luck number in Japan. They don't have hospital room is Japan numbered four because it the word 'shi' not only mean sour, but death.

Later.

: . Review Responses . :

Evfrosyne – I like how Souta is being too, so cute.

regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan – Your wish is my command… Or something like that. I think it would really such having percent grades, then my parents would kill me for having even a low ninety.


	12. Chapter Twelve

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Twelve : .

She was horribly suspicious.

"Sota, do you sense anything?"

It had been quiet for too long.

"No, why Kagome?"

Nothing had happen in nearly a week.

"Something's going to happen."

Five days in fact. Five days of no school since she stayed home with Sota and would be till Noya came for a 'visit'.

"How do you know?"

For now she didn't want to leave the house less something happen while she was gone.

"It's never so calm for so long."

They came through the windows.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"She didn't come again today."

Mana's announcement brought the group no amount of surprise. After Kagome's ditching of four previous days of school, they had assumed that she would not return till her brother returned to his own classes.

"I don't think we'll be seeing Higurashi till her brother is ready to return to school," came her reply from Kaname.

She didn't seem to be very happy with their dismissal of her announcement.

"I think we should all pay her a visit to make sure she's faring well."

Again Kagome was the only one to answer.

"From what I've seen, Higurashi can take care of herself."

Mana didn't care for that remark either.

"Fine, if you guys won't come I'll go myself."

That got a reaction. Everyone turned to look at her in surprise, Mana was usually not one to be so forceful.

"Mana-chan, I would love to go with you but I have to work," Haruna said regretfully.

After saying her goodbyes Haruna stood and left the group, leaving everyone to wonder why Itsuki wasn't running off to work as he normally did.

"Don't you have to go to work as well Itsuki-kun?" Mana asked

Itsuki opened an eye lazily and looked at all of his friend and his sensei watching him speculatively.

"No, I quit a couple of days ago."

Five minutes later saw all the boys following Mana to Kagome's house. Mana was happy that her plan had work out, for although none of them new where Kagome lived, Nakaura had access to her records and had given them her address and directions since he himself couldn't come.

"I sense something," Tsukasa warned as they came closer to the house.

Mana immediately grew worried.

"Are you sure it's not just them?" Itsuki asked.

"I'm sure."

They broke into a run and just as they were running up the driveway a thin tendril of smoke curled upwards to the blue sky.

Itsuki took care of the door before anyone was within reach of it blowing it down and boosting his own speed to get inside. He didn't care for the frantic feeling building in his chest.

Random pieces of furniture around the room were burning along with the curtains. Several white-wearing figures were arranged in somewhat of a circle and Itsuki could make out Kagome in the middle with Sota lying near her feet.

"They're Erasers," Kaname shouted over the roar of the fire and murmurs of the Erasers.

"What are we going to do?" Mana asked.

The murmur of the Erasers grew louder and a light glow enveloped the circle. The glow heightened, blinding them for a second and the next thing they saw was Kagome bound in glowing chains.

"Mana, get out of the house," Kaname ordered.

Seeing the wings sprout from his back and knowing he was going into 'battle mode' Mana did as he told her to leaving the blazing room.

"Amou, Shiba Sempai, you guys help me hold off these Erasers. Itsuki get Higurashi and her brother out of here," came Kaname's next commands.

Everyone did as they were told, three of the boys launching an attack on the Erasers while the fourth wait till they were all distracted to steal their prey.

Itsuki had no idea how he did it but as soon as he stepped outside Mana took Sota's body from him, leaving him to carry the still chained Kagome. Kagome's eyes fluttered open and she found her face close to Itsuki's and knew what she had to do.

Kagome pressed her lip softly to his and his faced flushed. But as quickly as it had begun, the kiss was ended and Kagome's eyes shut even as her body went limp.

He felt a tremendous power flow through him and he set Kagome down next to Mana and went back into the burning building to help his friends.

The air whirled around him angrily, crackling with energy and he observed the scene coolly before moving in.

"Itsuki-kun?"

Itsuki never heard Amou calling him.

_**KILL THEM!**_

The voice screaming in his head seemed to take control of his body. The wind around him blew upward lifting him inches off the ground and blowing his hair upwards as well.

_**Do it**_

His hand moved out in front of him, his palm facing inward and his fingers splayed. Itsuki's eye took on an eerie pearly glow as he focused on the enemy Erasers.

"Itsuki what are you doing?" Isshin asked.

"He's not listening," Tsukasa shouted.

One of the Erasers glared at Itsuki and screamed, "I knew Mythrel's brood would enter battle with us one day. I should have slaughtered her when I had the chance."

_**How DARE he**_

White ropes of lights wrapped around the screaming Eraser's throat and constricted as Itsuki's hand slowly clenched. Itsuki's hand rose higher into the air and the Eraser was lifted off the floor by his throat.

Another Eraser, seeing what was happening to his comrade, attacked Itsuki but Itsuki's other hand shot out and a burst of wind threw the Eraser back and into a burning wall.

"What the hell is he doing?" Kaname demanded.

"I never seen this type of power from Itsuki," Isshin said.

Tsukasa moved to their side, the battle had stopped seeing as how the remaining three Erasers were focused on Itsuki.

"This isn't Itsuki-kun's power, it's that of an Eraser," he informed them.

"How'd he get that kind of power?"

At that moment Itsuki dropped the Eraser he had been strangling, he was dead. Another gust of wind thrown at the Eraser in the fire caused the flames to blazing into actions killing him.

That left one last Eraser to deal with.

However this one was more powerful than the previous two combine and Itsuki had used up a fair amount of his power and so he sought assistance.

Seeing his comrade whom was also an Eraser by the door he held out his hand palm facing upwards.

"Come."

Tsukasa stepped forward and his hand reached out instinctively.

"Tsukasa?" Isshin questioned softly.

"Come, comrade."

Tsukasa hand touched softly to palm and he found himself lifted into the air, facing the glowing-eyed Itsuki.

Itsuki's other hand came up and Tsukasa mirrored his moved movement, their palms touching each others, their fingers pointed to the sky.

"I, of the 'blood' of Mythrel, proposition a kinship to the Angel Israfel. So that we may combine our power and become more than what we once were."

Kaname and Isshin watched on in confusion, they were completely lost. The final Eraser however was lost and all but fuming, the fire of his anger and hate causing his powers to tumble about his malevolently.

"I, the Angel Israfel, accept the proposition of the blood of Mythrel to unite our power under our forged kinship."

The floating pair glowed blindingly before once again becoming visible. They moved in unison glaring icily at their enemy and direction one hand in his direction.

"Die."

The reaction was instant. The Eraser fell to the ground withering and clutching his head in pain. Balls of light surrounded him and swiftly closed in. With a last shriek, he was gone, leaving only a dark scorch mark on the ground.

Itsuki and Tsukasa were set onto the floor, Tsukasa back in his human state. Itsuki was unconscious and a glowing ball leaving his body via mouth and zipped away. Kaname rushed to his side while Isshin went to help the exhausted Tsukasa.

"Kusakabe, we've got to get then out of here, this building is sure to collapse at anytime," Isshin shouted.

"You take Amou and I'll carry Itsuki."

Isshin pulled Tsukasa to his feet and crouch a bit allowing the wingless Tsukasa to climb onto his back. After waiting a second for the boy to settle himself, Isshin took off, running out of the build at his fastest speed.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

**_The boy has done well, he has earned my approval_**

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Mana paced outside, worry plastered all over her features. Sota was resting peacefully as was Kagome, who had been released from the chains that had bound her, a minutes or so ago.

The building that they had come from was blazing now and Mama could distantly hear the scream of sirens coming towards them.

Just when she was going to go into the inferno herself, Isshin emerged from the house. She then noticed Tsukasa on his back, the younger boy's head lolling to once side as if he were napping.

Mana hurried to their side and helped pull Tsukasa off of Isshin's back on lay him on the ground near the spot she had settled Kagome and Sota.

"Where are Kaname-kun and Itsuki-kun?" She asked.

"Kusakabe has to carry Itsuki out here."

A moan came from behind them and they turn to see Kagome sitting up. Mana went and knelt by her side.

"Are you okay Higurashi-kun?"

"I will be, just give me a second or two to get used to this dizziness."

Kagome massaged her temples for a while before looking around for Sota.

"I knew you wouldn't want to be separated from your brother so I put him right next to you."

"Thank you," Kagome whispered.

"It was no trouble Higurashi-kun, you're on our team now."

"There they are!" Isshin shouted.

Kagome and Mana turned and saw Kaname walking out of the now collapsing building with Itsuki at his side, one arm slung over the darker boy's should for support.

Remembering what she had done earlier, Kagome blushed when she saw him, even though he was unconscious.

_**He is that is worthy of us**_

: . End Chapter . :

. : Author's Note : .

Fluff, not a lot but it's there.

And this chapter also leads to questions like: How did Itsuki gain powers of an Eraser? Who the heck is Mythrel? What is this story getting at? And finally why does this have absolutely nothing to do with the previous chapter?

You may also be wondering about all the names because I switch them so often, but different characters call other characters by different things so here's a guide.

First - Last

Kagome Higurashi

Sota Higurashi

Mana Kirihara

Kaname Kusakabe

Naoya Itsuki (No one calls him by his first name)

Haruna Itsuki

Isshin Shiba (Perfers Yi-Xin to Isshin, it's the same thing only the former is Chinese pronounciation. Why he doesn't want to be called Isshin has something to do with monks, I think…)

Tsukasa Amou

Tomonori Nakaura

'bye

: . Review Responses . :

chinadoll27 – Here's the next chapter though Sota is unconscious for most of it. Well originally they were going to in this chapter, but the chapter went way to out of control so I had to change it.

Evfrosyne – It was fun making the last chapter with all the thoughts in it.

Kagome13Chan – I so ashamed, I'm a bad, bad person!

regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan – Usually I don't pay attention in class either, but things have a way of working out for me.

Dutch – Maybe Sesshomaru, but I don't know… I don't have any plans for it.

Chiisana-Tori-chan – I don't know her mom's name either… But looky the story is unraveling even more.

Julie – Thanks. Noya was going to make an appearance but it turns out he didn't but he'll return next chapter. I think the Sota idea is super cute and I'll try and get it in the plot too.

Hiei'sTreeHuggingGirlfriend – Chill out, the next chapter has arrived! I think you're name's really adorable.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Thirteen : .

"Breath in… Breath out… In… Out…"

Kagome's eyes closed and she yawned silently, Noya's soothing voice making her relaxed and, because she had not slept for two day strait, tired.

"Why are we doing this?" Sota questioned quietly.

"Meditation is a good way for a beginner to harness their power."

"Mhmm, I still meditate before waking you up, Sota," Kagome sighed.

"Oh."

She listened to their controlled breathing from her position on the couch. Sota was already improving, performing the actions better than before the explanation.

"Use your 'sight' search out nearby auras. Be sure to keep your meditation breathing" Noya instructed him.

The sound of their breathing continued steadily and Kagome kept her eyes closed but continued to listen to what they were doing.

"I see your aura and Onee-chan's too."

"Good, go farther."

Sota was silent again but soon he once again spoke.

"There's a brown aura outside."

"Can you tell what it is?"

"I… It's a cat."

Kagome slipped farther into her rest, lulled by the near quiet and peacefulness of the leason.

"How can you tell?"

"I don't know, I just know it's a cat."

"Good, trust your instincts. Now find something else."

Her body felt lighter and her mind became numb, only being attuned to the lesson happening besides her.

"There's another aura, its brown but with some green. A tree?"

"You tell me."

"It's a tree."

"You must learn to trust your instincts."

She thought of the many times she had failed because she hadn't done as her instincts insisted. This would be a valuable lesson for Sota to learn.

"Anything else?"

"Hm… Kagome your friends are here."

"Nh," she grunted.

"Higurashi-kun!" Mana called loudly.

Kagome laid unmoving on the couch, feinting sleep.

"Cheater," Sota whispered as he stood to answer the door.

"It's nice to see you again, Sota-chan."

"Hello Mana-san, Itsuki-san, Kaname-san. I'm having lessons with Noya Sensei and Kagome is taking a nap, but you can come in and wait for her to wake up."

In her mind she cursed Sota. How could he betray her like this, his only sister? Hopefully they reject the offer.

"Thank you Sota-chan, where would you like us to wait?"

"You can wait in the dinning room, you'll be able to see us in the living room from there."

"Alright."

Mana and her entourage took the seats in the small kitchen and Sota returned to his spot on the floor in front of Noya.

"Traitor," she whispered, barely moving her lips.

He didn't reply, instead he waited for Noya to restart the lesson.

"You should mediate daily, you can do it with your sister at first so she can make sure your doing it properly."

"Okay."

Yup she would be there, after putting all breakable items away, and tying down all movable thing, and when she had a fire extinguisher on hand.

"Now, have you noticed any unnatural qualities you have gained this past week?"

"When we were attacked by Eraser's I shot fire at them… I missed though."

"That will be your focus element then. I suspect that most of your attributes will focus in that direction, but you should be careful of surprises."

"But how should I train?"

Kagome found herself becoming restless from being still for so long.

"Do little things, like lighting candles, but be sure your sister is there with you. On Wednesday I'll take you to a dojo I know. I sign you up with an instructor that will be able to handle your fire, and maybe you'll be able to unlock another facet of your power."

"Cool!"

"I'll be taking my leave for now Sota, be sure to meditate."

Noya stood and Sota followed him and locked the door behind him.

She couldn't prevent her self from letting out a groan of discomfort, which alerted the others to her conscious state.

"Are you awake, Higurashi-kun?" Mana questioned, coming to her side.

One of her eyes opened slightly to look at the girl and she resisted the urge to roll over and sleep.

"Kon'nichiwa, Mana-chan."

Mana smiled brightly down at her and straightened as Kagome sat up, giving her room to get up.

"Is there a reason for your visit Mana-chan?" Kagome questioned.

"Kaname-kun, Itsuki-kun, and I were going to hang out and we wanted to know if you wanted to come."

'Not really…'

"Sure."

She wondered ideally why she as going with them if she didn't want to, but then again she was in a semi good mood since the voice had sunken so far into her subconscious that she rarely heard them.

"Alright! Let's go."

"Sota, I'm going out with Mana and the boys. You want to come or stay?"

"I think I'll stay, I'm exhausted."

Kagome poked her brother as he collapsed on the couch.

"You have no right to be exhausted, you were only meditating."

"Don't you know how hard it is to clear my thoughts? Thinks are always going through my brain, the madness just won't end!" He announced dramatically.

"Nn-hn, sure," she said sarcastically.

"Good bye Kagome."

"Bye, bye Sota."

And Kagome propelled the group out of her apartment before Sota could say anything further, taking care not to touch Itsuki directly.

"So where are we going?" She asked when they were fair distance from her house.

"To this really nice karaoke bar in Ikebukuro, Itsuki-kun took Amou-kun and me to before," Mana sighed happily.

Kagome nodded, "very well."

The bar was dimly lit and they took a booth in the back, Kaname sitting with Mana and Kagome sitting next to Itsuki.

It was akward for her to sit next to Itsuki. When she saw him, and she was doing her best to avoid him, a faint blush covered her features. She had no idea what had come over her after he had rescued her, she was especially confused about the kiss.

Mana's tugging on her sleeves brought her back to reality and she looked at the girl sitting across from her.

"Do you sing Higurashi-kun?" Mana asked.

"Not often, why?"

"Do you want to come up and sing with me?"

Her eyes swept briefly over the karaoke bar, taking in all the empty tables and the few occupied ones, weighing her options.

"No, I don't believe I will."

Mana's smile never dimmed and instead she dragged Kaname with her up to the stage. They sang a happy, upbeat love song, though Kaname didn't look like he was enjoying singing the song all that much.

Itsuki went up next and sang a song of discovering romance. His voice washed over her and Kagome found herself tuning out all other sound and letting his voice sooth her. Much like Noya's had done earlier, Itsuki's voice relaxed her and made her feel sleepy.

The group looked at her expectantly and Kagome stood and resigned herself to her fate. She found herself up on stage, nearly blinded by the spotlight on her. The music played and her world ceased to exist and she poured her emotions into her song, singing the slow song of betrayal and pain with all of the feeling in her small frame.

When she returned to the group she felt as if they had all gotten closer, as if they had discovered a part of her that she had yet to reveal to many people.

For a second Itsuki's golden eyes caught hers and seeing the warmth and understanding in them confused her far more than she cared to admit. The blush once again rising on her checks Kagome retook her seat.

: . End Chapter . :

. : Author's Note : .

The first week of school is finally over!

But I'm buried in homework, AP Biology is going to kill me.

Still I have given forth my effort and have provided this chapter.

Alrgiht, I hear that the dite administrator has declared answering reviews illegal so I can't give review reponses. Normally I wouldn't care either way, but you can get band for doing it and I would never deprive all my loyal readers of their chapter so sorry.

If you give me your email addresses in the reviews I'll email you back but that's the best I can do.

Regarding question reviewer had, I can still answer those.

1- Kagome will get to kick ass very soon, in either the next chapter or the one after that.

2- Mythrel has more to do with Kagome than Itsuki.

P.S. My god LKLTB you are a genius, I can't believe you guess it right already, though it is kind of obvious.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Fourteen : .

"Are you sure you'll be fine? You can come with me, I don't mind."

"Kagome I'll be fine, I'm staying with Noya and you're only going to be gone for a couple of days."

Kagome bit her lip indecisively and Sota sighed heavily. She had avoided going to school all week and now she was leaving to visit the shrine. They both knew that she was trying to avoid her new 'friends'.

"You can't keep avoiding them Kagome."

"I can try," she muttered, then added in a louder voice, "come on, Noya's here."

"I know."

"Smart ass."

She lifted her backpack and Sota's bag and made her way to the door carefully not to drop or bump into anything. She soon came to the front door and spotted Noya leaning against the door, his customary bandana covering his eyes.

"Hi Noya-kun, Sota will be right down," Kagome dropped her younger brother's bag. "Here's his stuff, make sure he behaves while he staying with you. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just stay here with him instead of taking him somewhere else?"

"We'll be staying at the dojo my family owns. By the time you return Sota will be able to return to the public without fear of losing control."

"Alright," Kagome paused uncomfortably, and then rose onto her tip toes to press a soft kiss onto Noya's cheek.

And then she returned fully to the ground and ran off, not bothering to say goodbye. She found herself confused by her actions, she felt pulls to both Noya and to Itsuki but until she could sort out her feeling she would make no more moves towards either of them.

Her steps slowed to a walk, it would take her all day and most of the night to walk to her destination, but this is the way she chose. Lifting her head she looked at the morning sky, the sun was hidden by the mass of dark clouds that hung thickly in the air and Kagome felt a rush of energy. However she curbed her pace and continued to walk at a leisurely pace.

She was going to walk all day, what a pleasant way to reminisce.

: Sota :

"Where are we?"

Though he could not truly see where they were Sota could sense many aura's inside. The auras were an oriental green and red swirl, it gave off a familiar feeling to him. It reminded him of the shrine that he and his sister had been so hard pressed to leave, if their mother recovered they hoped to return there one day.

"This is where we'll be staying, my family's dojo."

Sota's curiosity was raised, he had not learned any personal information about his sensei, and he intended to use this time to absorb all the knowledge he could about him.

"You come from a family of psychics?"

"All Sightless come from the bloodlines of at least one of the five factions."

"Oh."

"My family is Arayashiki."

"Arayashiki?"

"The faction that inherited the orient's magic."

"That's why it's familiar."

Sota followed Noya into the building and shut the sliding paper door securely behind them. They made their way down what seemed to be a hallway and into another room.

"This will be your room."

"Okay, thanks."

The young Sightless set down his bag and spread his senses again, attuning himself with his surroundings.

"Please wait here for s couple of minutes, Sota, I'll be right back."

He murmured a reply, not really paying attention as he scrutinized every inch of the surrounding mile, piece by piece. So absorbed and caught in his near meditative state, Sota didn't notice the unfamiliar person come into the room.

"Kon'nichiwa!"

His head snapped back and Sota whirled to place the intruder in front of him, his aura spiked and because he only learned two outlets for his power and only one of those could be used to defend him, his aura lit fires around him.

"Whoa! Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Sota took a deep breath and reined in his power, though this did nothing to stop the fires that had already started. He ignored the flames that licked at them to examine the intruder, he could tell by the voice that it was a girl, perhaps around his age. She was an Arayashiki, so it was a strong possibility that she belong in the dojo.

After coming to the conclusion that he girl wasn't about to attack him he saw her aura grow. Cool tongues water colored in her aura's color washed through the room washing out all of his rampart flames.

"Thanks, I don't know how to stop them."

"It's no problem. Are you a new stu- Oh! You're a Sightless? Did Noya bring you?"

"Yeah, he's my sensei. I'm Sota, by the way."

"I'm Sakura, I live here."

There was an awkward pause and after a couple of minutes Sota hear a shuffling noise coming from Sakura's direction.

"Well, I've better go tell everyone that Noya's back. See you around Sota."

And she was gone with a soft click of the shoji door. Sota sat down and found himself on the futon that was temporarily his.

What could this funny feeling building in his chest be?

: Kagome :

She had been traveling for hours on end without rest and she was slowly but surely making her way to her destination. Kagome sighed and looked around for a place to rest for a couple of minutes. She had been passing through a small forest like area and considered herself luck when she found a fallen tree that she could sit on.

Kagome collapsed onto her makeshift seat with a sigh, she was tired and hungry but knew this was just something she had to do. She dug through her bag and found an apple to tide her over till whenever she found the time to eat something more substantial.

After finishing her apple Kagome closed her eyes so she could listen to the sounds of the forest if only for a few moments.

There was no sound.

Her body grew tense but Kagome continued to pretend that she hadn't noticed anything. However this time she focus and could hear voices coming from behind her.

"Is that who I think it is?"

"I believe it to be so."

"Itsuki-sama will be so very please if we return with a project that has been so long forsaken."

_Itsuki-sama_? As in Naoya and Haruna Itsuki? As in that man that had cut Sota's eyes? Kagome sprung upward, having heard enough.

"Crap, she's sensed us!"

Kagome stood balanced onto of her log and glared down at two scrawny girl that had been hiding behind the bushes.

"Hello, I'm Higurashi Kagome, but I'm sure you know that. The real questions hear are who you are, who you work for, and what you can tell." Her voice was hard and cold as ice.

"We don't have to tell you anything!" The second and seemingly rasher girl shouted.

"Oh, but I believe you do."

"You can't beat us! We're two of the top fighters in E.G.O.!"

"Like I care."

There was an abrupt charge of energy in the air and Kagome ducked as a bullet whizzed towards her.

"That wasn't very polite."

"We don't have to be polite to you1 Your just a abandoned project!"

_**HOW DARE SHE**_

The girl's body was wracked with pain and her body was ripped apart and blood and body chunks went flying through the air.

"You are truly as powerful as theorized," the remaining girl said, indifferent to her partner's demise. "But how does it feel to have your mind divided and torn at by opposing forces?"

"Kagome's eyes narrowed to slits. "What do you know?"

"Enough."

Kagome jumped off the log and toward the girl who was facing her. The girl slide to the right and Kagome came to a rough stop. Her ankle throbbed but she didn't let it show as she glared at her new found enemy. Kagome tried to take a step towards the girl but the pain in her ankle caused her to fall, it was twisted.

"I'll be taking you to E.G.O. headquarters now, Kagome-sama. Your cooperation is requested but completely unnecessary."

A thin line of blood appeared on the girl's neck and seconds later her head fell off. Kagome forced herself off the ground, using the tree next to her for balance.

"Who's there?" She demanded.

"Kagome."

She turned sharply and met the eyes of Itsuki. He was hurrying to her side, panting heavily. He reached her side and lifted her free hand with both of his.

"Are you okay?"

Her hand ripped away from him and she pressed it close to her chest where she thought he wouldn't dare go after it again.

"What are you doing here?"

Itsuki winced, his eyes looking away to hide his guilt, but Kagome saw it and started to piece together what had happened.

"You followed me," she accused.

"I was worried, we hadn't seen you for days and then I saw you walking out of town with your bag and I just trailed along."

"For five hours?"

He nodded, eyes hidden.

"Damn." Kagome let her body slip to the ground and slammed her fist into the hard ground. "I'm so pathetic."

"Kagome…"

Itsuki knelt at her side, he was close that she could feel his breath stirring her hair. A tear slipped down her right check and Itsuki grew even more alarmed.

"Kagome?"

"I just so damn pathetic."

Driven on by his instincts Itsuki wrapped his arms cautiously around her. Unlike many of the girls they new she was quiet but he knew she was crying because he could feel her tears soak through his shirt when she pressed her face into his shoulder.

After about an hour her tears had stopped and she had drifted off to sleep, using him as her pillow. Itsuki looked around at the forest and sighed, leaning back against the tree, the position was slightly uncomfortable but he couldn't bring himself to move.

He passed into sleep a few moments later and his head rested on top of hers.

: .End Chapter .:

. : Author's Note : .

Here's you're next chapter! This story is getting lots of love, and all the reviews are appreciated, I was surprise because I've got seventeen reviews for the last chapter…

This story is going to be focusing on the E.G.O. faction, with the Arayashiki playing a minor role by Noya's family, the Eraser's evil being discussed, and the rest of the factions in the background.

We're getting to that point in the story where the E.G.O. and the Itsuki family is hinting at involvement with Kagome's past, somehow and meanwhile Sota's train with a potential love interest while Kagome of somewhere with a twisted ankle and Itsuki.

Things are heating up, ne?

…

And now thanks to my brilliant mind I bring you a little extra that has-

**NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS STORY**

.: Breaking Point : .

Kagome sat listlessly, her feet trailing through the water of the lake before her. Her black yukata was settled carelessly around her on the shore, exposing her legs to the bitterly cold night air.

He was with Kikyo.

For some strange reason she could bring herself to do anything about it as she normally would, she couldn't bring herself to care.

She was alone, just as always, always alone. Perhaps that was the way it was meant to be. Maybe it was her destiny.

The bushes rustled behind her and her white haired problem stepped out from the shadowed forest and embraced her from behind.

"I love you Kagome," he whispered tenderly.

He kissed her forehead, and she could still make out the sent of decay on his breath and body.

"I love you and only you."

Her body didn't protest his cuddling but it didn't respond either. She was limp in his grasp, but he took it as a sign of encouragement and pulled her closer.

"It'll be just you and me, I swear. My beloved, my Kagome."

Kagome lay unmoving. She didn't care, his words no longer meant anything to her when she knew he would return to Kikyo when he next caught her rancid stench. She no longer had the will to protest, she had no will at all.

"My precious Kikyo."

She had finally broken.

: . End Mini-Story . :

…

I wrote that during Spanish class.

I would also like to repeat that this-

**HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STORY**

Thank you, have a nice day


	15. Chapter Fifteen

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Fifteen : .

"Stupid perverted boys."

Kagome had grumbled the words many times in the past hour as she bounced slightly from her position on Itsuki's back.

"You fell asleep on me first!"

"And?"

Itsuki sighed, he just couldn't win. He felt Kagome slip a little and hefted her higher. Her hands tightened on his shoulder.

"Thank you for doing this," he could barely make out the words.

"Whatever," he saw a fork in the road in the distance. "Do we go right or left?"

"Left, right takes you to a small town by some caves."

"Where are we going anyway?"

She didn't answer so he bounced her without warning. Kagome gasped and struggled to maintain her balance.

"Well?" He questioned.

"You'll see when we get there. It's not that much farther."

He grumbled at her words. Not that much farther? Hadn't she said that when they start a couple of hours ago? Itsuki had the feeling that their idea of 'not that much farther' vastly differed. He must have made a noise that signaled his skepticism to her because Itsuki soon received a 'light' tap to his head.

"Don't whine, you volunteered."

"That was before I walked for hours on end carrying over a hundred pounds."

She huffed but relented, "fine we can stop for a break for a while."

"There _is_ a god!"

"Baka."

Itsuki dropped her to the floor but Kagome caught herself before impact.

"And such a kind one at that."

A light snow powered the ground, but being at the altitude that they were it was to be expected no matter what time of year.

"I don't see why you couldn't just get a ride or something."

Anger she had never felt burned in the pit of her stomach. This boy had dared to follow her and then criticized her on a matter he knew nothing about. She felt as if chains of darkness were holding her down and she could do nothing but watch as another force took over her body.

He body rose, ignoring the pain it caused her to stand on her injured ankle. She approached Itsuki, he was turned away from her and she suddenly blasted Itsuki from behind.

"You foolish boy."

"Kagome, what are you doing?"

"You stupid, stupid boy."

Another blast came at him but Itsuki pushed himself into the air with a gust of wind. He looked down at Kagome in alarm and saw that her eye had changed into a darkened red color, an exact match for split blood.

"How I despise your kind."

"You're not Kagome are you?"

"Oh, but I am."

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"Sota, you have to wake up."

"Six more minutes."

There was a muffled giggle at his grumbled reply.

"In six minutes the food might all be gone."

That got a rise out of the boy. He was out of bed and pulling on a white and blue training gi before another word could be said. Within seconds he was tying his bandana on securely.

"Kagome's such a pig. Can't even wait to eat for six minutes," he mumbled.

"Who's Kagome?"

Sota jumped and another fire spontaneously sprouted on his curtain. Sakura's water was there instantly, taming the errant flame.

"Ack, Sakura!"

"You're so silly Sota."

He mumbled nervously and a soft hand took his, tugging gently.

"Come on, you're hungry right?"

Sota let the girl pull him out of the room, making sure to shut it behind them. They walked for a couple of minutes, Sakura chatting happily while he listened attentively. Soon her talk led to the subject of training.

"Kimi nee-san teaches most of the students, especially the new ones, so you'll probably have her at some point. Then again Noya did bring you here so he might train you himself if you're lucky. Noya nii-chan is the best sensei."

Sakura stirred him around a flock of students and through some doors.

"What exactly are they teaching?"

"Kimi teaches defense and power control for the beginners. Other instructors divide the advance students by power type and they start working on advanced martial arts and refining their natural abilities," she bounced excitedly. "Noya's the only one that teaches how to combine martial arts with you powers, though."

"I see."

They entered what Sota believed to be the dinning room, for there were many Arayashiki aura gathered closely together and the mouthwatering scent of breakfast wafted to his nose.

"Come on Sota, you can sit with me," Sakura said, tugging on his arm.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Itsuki rolled out of the way as claws came at him in an attempt to take his head. He came to a stop out of her reach, resting on his knees and clutching his injured shoulder.

"Let Kagome back out."

"I'm afraid that I have no desire to return to my cage, I enjoy this freedom too much for that."

She charged him again and Itsuki flipped over her, landing in a nearby tree.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the heir of the Belial."

Itsuki hissed as a sharp pain streaked from his side. 'Kagome' stood opposite of him, licking the wet blood from her claws. His mind quickly processed the information she had given him.

Belial had been the Crown Prince of the Dark World, the ruler since neither a king nor emperor had ever existed in the Dark World. He had ruler, completely and bloodily till he was killed and the Dark World destroyed, by an E.G.O. assassin. Belial's death marked the beginning of the Aquarian Age.

"How can you be Belial's heir, he died thousands of years ago."

She snickered and straightened from her crouched position, her movements fluid and graceful.

"The Darklore have long bread a line and though the folly of the E.G.O. I came into being. The man bloodlines that this body holds make it possible for me to exist."

His attacker started to approach him, taking slow deliberate steps. Part of him demanded that he kill this threat but a more ferial part of him demanded he stay be her side no matter what the cost.

"I do not understand why Mythrel approves of you," she continued.

"Who's Mythrel?"

"Mythrel is the Eraser part of Kagome. She's the one that was channeled through you when you fought the Erasers."

Itsuki could remember the voice that had screamed in his head, the guidance that had channeled unfamiliar powers through his body. He realized that Mythrel must have gained access to his body when Kagome had kissed him.

"Mythrel was the only Eraser that Belial would even consider to be an equal. She was widely known as the Angel Knight. She was the only Eraser to admit her taint, she was a fine warrior, till the E.G.O. slaughtered her."

It always came back to the E.G.O. the organization had a dark blood stained past no doubt.

Belial's heir raised her hand ready to strike him down but she suddenly froze, her eyes widening as the color begun to change rapidly. First red, then a pearly glow, back to Kagome's sapphire, and back to red again. Finally the colors settled and leaving the right sapphire and the left the pearly glow.

"Itsuki," it was Kagome's voice, however her voice changed after his name, becoming more silky and wispy. "Leave."

He was tempted to do as she said but he couldn't bring himself to leave her.

"Didn't you hear, leave!"

Itsuki didn't, instead he moved closer to her, holding out a hand to her. Kagome reared back, stumbling as her eye color flickered more frantically now. A dainty clawed hand trembled as it made its way to his face, it cupped his check softly. Then red burned brightly in both of Kagome's eyes and a single claw scratched his check creating a diagonal trail of blood on his right check. He didn't flinch.

"Very well then," her voice was husky, and smoke like.

She was suddenly closer, her hand cupping his check again. His head was turned and a wet tongue slid across his cut. Belial's heir rock back on her heals for a second and looked deeply into his eyes. She gave a nod and stepped back.

"Very well, I shall accept you, for now. If any harm is inflicted on our person, I shall hold you responsible."

And the red faded from her eyes and the blue returned. Kagome's eyes were hooded as she looked at him. Her hand rising up towards him, reaching out to him, but it dropped and her unconscious body fell limply to the ground.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Sixteen : .

"Strangely enough this situation is becoming oddly familiar."

Kagome pushed away from Itsuki's chest and peered up into his sleeping face. He looked peaceful and handsome, though she would die before telling him. She tried to ease out of his grip but it only tightened and pulled her back against him.

"Stay," he murmured.

Her heart fluttered but she ruthlessly squashed it down, this was no time to get a crush on a guy, felt she may have tried to kill numerous time before. She had to resist the urge to smack him as she would have done if he was awake, but he was sleeping and she supposed she could forgive him, this time at least.

"You're so warm."

She blushed, heavily. The cause of her red tinted cheeks snuggled her more firmly against him. Her blush then intensified as one of his hands brushed her breast and the other curled over her bottom.

"Itsuki, wake up," she hissed.

"Nh."

Then he had the nerve to roll over, leaving her no possible escape routes.

"Itsuki," she tried louder this time.

His head nuzzled into her neck.

"ITSUKI!"

His head snapped up, knocking into her chin. Kagome whimpered and the weight that had been settled on top of her disappeared. Her eyes cautiously slid open and she caught sight of Itsuki hovering over her on his hands and knees.

"Kagome?" His voice was groggy.

She almost felt like crying, this had been a horrendous morning, then again then she was also finding it hard not to laugh. However both, at the extremes she was considering them at, were accompanied by tears and so the drops of salted water began to gather in her eyes.

Itsuki spotted them at once at became immediately conscious in his alarm.

"Kagome, are you _crying_?"

He had backed off a bit and Kagome used the room to roll over and cover her face.

"No," to her disappointment her lying skills were failing her.

"Kagome, what's wrong?"

His voice was so soft in caring that she felt tears start leaking down her cheeks. Why were these violate feelings roving within her? Why was she starting to feeling for Itsuki?

"Why couldn't you be mean, or disfigured and bitter?" She mumbled.

Itsuki made a questioning noise and placed a hand on her shoulder to flip her over. However that's when they were, once again, interrupted.

"Yes, why? I do so hate killing the cute ones."

Kagome turned over and saw a man lounging on a nearby tree branch, he wore the outfit the men who had attacked Sota and her at home, except that it was all black.

"An Eraser," Itsuki commented under his breath.

The man clapped his hands together excitedly.

"Correct! I am an Eraser, the Fallen Angle to be exact. Now can you guess why I'm here?" He began to speak in a singsong voice, "I'll give you a clue. It starts with a 'k' and ends with a 'u'."

"I don't suppose we can all just sit down for a cup of tea instead," Itsuki suggest dryly.

The Fallen Angle shook his head in mock exasperation, "nope, that won't do at all. I'm afraid we'll have to settle for a little fight."

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"Wrong. Try again."

Sota shifted into the 'ready position', balancing his weight on the balls of his feet.

"Lower."

He sank down lower, growing slightly agitated with his teacher, Sakura's older sister Kimi.

"Lower."

He was sure that if he went any lower his hands would hit the floor.

"Good, now let's try this again. Ichi."

Souta's right arm moved into the first block, vertical to the floor, crossing with his left arm as he brought the left to his waist.

"Ni."

He mirrored the first move with his left arm leading.

"San."

The next block.

"Shi."

The complementing block.

"Go."

Next.

"Roku."

Mirror.

"Shichi."

Next.

"Hachi."

Mirror.

"Kyu."

He first crossed his arms in front of his face before bringing them both to his waist.

"Ju."

And then he slid back into the starting position.

"Better. Again."

And on it went for the next hour when Noya finally came and rescued him.

"Kimi, I think he's had enough."

"I guess," her voice was reluctant.

"Sota, let's go. I want to get meditation in before lunch."

Sota felt his aura leave the room and trailed after it, avoiding any objects in his path with natural ease. He felt Sakura approaching and slowed his walk so she could catch up.

"Hi Sota, how was your training with Kimi nee-chan?"

"I believe I'll avoid your older sister like the plague."

She laughed and he felt his face burn slightly. He enjoyed making her laugh. Maybe now he was coming to understand why Kagome had made her sacrifices to make Inu Yasha smile. His face hitting the ground brought him back to reality.

"Sota, are you okay?"

He pushed himself up and off the ground.

"Yeah, I was just woolgathering."

"Sota, you were hugging a sheep."

He couldn't image someone sound as serious as she did at the moment and he immediately broke down into laughter.

"Sota, get over here!"

His laughter subsided.

"Sorry Sakura, I got to go. My wonderful sensei is waiting on me."

"See you around Sota."

Sakura left and Sota ran to catch up to Noya. His aura was peeved.

"I see you've met Sakura."

"Yeah, she's really nice," he sighed.

They exited the building at that moment, and Sota felt the sun and wind rush over his skin.

"Don't get too close."

Sota stopped, unfamiliar with the dark tone Noya had spoken with.

"Noya?"

"I don't want you approaching my sister with any sort of relationship in mind."

And he walked away, leaving Sota alone to sort out his mixed feelings.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"I hope you know that this is getting rather repetitive. If you don't think of something soon, I'll being stealing your girlfriend away."

Itsuki said nothing as he dodged again. There was nothing that he could do when he had Kagome clinging to him.

A dark glow passed over their heads and he evaded another attack.

"Such a tedious ordeal. I should have just taken her while you slept. But you were so cute, I didn't want to wake you."

He felt anger burning in his stomach as he though of their current pursuer carrying off Kagome. The feeling of protectiveness he held for her were really outstanding.

"Kagome, I need to put you down so I can fight."

She didn't reply and he looked down at her anxiously. Her eyes were glowing again, this time a rather ominous shade of darkness. Thought it was close, the color couldn't be described as simply black.

"Set me down."

The voice commanded that he obey and he did, setting her down carefully and then steeping away. Itsuki knew better than to get in the way as she changed like this. Speaking of which, how did these changes happen to her? Yesterday he could have sworn she had been inhabited by a Darklore, and the Darklore mentioned a "Mythrel" and that could be none other than an Eraser name. Currently however she didn't seem to be either.

"You are in my way. Leave or I shall kill you."

The Fallen Angel snorted, his stance arrogant.

"I'm shaking in my hula skirt."

'Kagome's' hand swept outward and a scythe dropped into it out of nowhere.

"You're choice."

And she attacked.

: . End Chapter . :

. : Author's Note : .

This chapter was weird to write. It's especially hard when I write from Sota's perspective because he can't see and so I can't put in any visual details.

Anyways this week is a short week, only three days, though I do have to go to school tomorrow, but at least it's a short day.

I'd like everyone to note that with the exception of Mythrel all mentioned psychics are actually cards in the Aquarian Age card game.

Inazuma is getting there, only a handful of chapters left and I look back at the work I have done and I wonder why it all seems so random. Then I look at Muichimotsu and I wonder where the dark atmosphere went.

I guess I'm changing a lot these days, but I still get millions of ideas and can't wait to start my next fanfiction. My profile has my ideas for next, if you got any ideas for a pairing or crossover I should do, I'd like to hear it.

Also, when we get there, I'll be answering all reviews to the second to the last chapter of this story, so if you got any comments save them and I'll make the announcement on the chapter.

See ya

: . Next Time .:

The battle with the Fallen Angel

Getting there

In honor of what you once were

Feelings

I really like you

Awakening


	17. Chapter Seventeen

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

_. : Last Time : ._

"_Noya?"_

"_I don't want you approaching my sister with any sort of relationship in mind."_

_And he walked away, leaving Sota alone to sort out his mixed feelings._

_I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I ._

'_Kagome's' hand swept outward and a scythe dropped into it out of nowhere._

"_You're choice."_

_And she attacked._

: . Chapter Seventeen . :

He was avoiding her.

It was very cowardly of him but he really couldn't bring himself to do otherwise. He need to sort out his feelings and, seeing as his emotions rejumbled every time he was near her, this meant staying away from Sakura.

And thus Higurashi Sota, a new member of the Sightless faction, was reduced to the act of hiding from a girl that had shown him every kindness because of his unresolved issues.

How truly and utterly sad.

Worst yet Sakura had been looking for him. Surely she could tell that he was doing her best to not be seen by her. Chances were that it would hurt her feelings and it would be all his fault.

Damn… Now he felt bad.

Taking a sharp turn Sota crossed a wide empty space which he presumed to be a training room. He could sense Sakura's aura getting closer and sped his pace. Just as he made it to the opposite side of the room he was stopped.

"Sota! Wait up."

Busted!

He turned in the direction of the approaching girl, his heart fluttering wildly. He couldn't see anything, but he could 'see' her. Not that that made any sense what so ever. Sakura's face was perfect in his mind, her soft features and gentle eyes.

His heart beat ever faster.

"Hello Sakura."

An unexpected and surprisingly biting slap to his check sent him tumbling to the ground. Sakura loomed over him and he slowly got over his shock.

"Sota, you're such a JERK!" She shouted.

Sota heard a muffled sob and felt Sakura flee. He immediately forgot Noya's warning and raced after her after jumping to his feet.

She was fast but he was slightly faster and he caught her just outside the compound. Sota caught her wrist causing her to stumble and send them tumbling down. Sakura struggled violently against him and he was forced to straddle her and pin her to the ground.

"Let me go!"

He didn't say anything, he just bent over her and slowly calmed down his racing heart. With each growing second her struggles got weaker and eventually stopped trying altogether.

"Why won't you just leave me alone? You didn't want me earlier," she cried.

"I'm sorry," he replied quietly.

She just continued to cry softly under her.

"I really like you Sakura-chan, I'm just so confused," he confessed.

Her sobs stopped and one of her hands hesitantly found its way into his.

"I really like you too."

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

The scythe had an ornate cross carved into it, Itsuki noticed as it bore down on the Fallen Angel. It was a rather odd observation to take at the time but it was this detail that conformed Itsuki's growing suspicion.

This 'personality' was part of the Wiz-Dom faction.

Wiz-dom was a very low key faction, especially in this part of the world since Wiz-dom was based on the western religion, Christianity. They tended on to get too involved in battles and such but they did have a long standing feud with the Darklore.

Then again none of the factions seemed to get along in the first place.

"Nope, you will simple have to move better than that if you wish to defeat me, Death Scythe," the Fallen Angel taunted.

Blood dripped down his check as Death Scythe caught him lightly across the face.

"Obviously not."

The Fallen Angel quickly moved away to asses the damage to his face. Rage burned in his eyes when he noted that it was going to scar.

Itsuki could sympathize.

"This cut is going to scar," the Fallen Angel ground out.

"Aw, it's okay. Girls love to swoon over a battle scar," Death Scythe taunted.

"You cut my perfect face."

Each of his word was clearly enunciated through his clenched teeth. Itsuki winced, half in empathy and half from the arrogance Fallen Angel held over his looks.

"A narcissist I see."

There was no opportunity to dodge the next attack, the dark ball of energy hit her straight on. Death Scythe was sent backwards into a tree. The dust swiftly settled revealing the fact that Death Scythe had change back to Kagome, who was currently slumped beneath the tree.

"I win," Fallen Angel announced.

Itsuki maneuvered himself in front of Kagome using his natural flexibility and psychic power.

"Oh my, you're going to make it difficult, aren't you?"

The question really didn't warrant a response.

"Very well," Fallen Angel sighed.

The next ball of dark light was hurling towards him before Itsuki realized that if he moved Kagome would be hit again. He had no time to lift Kagome and move her out of the way so instead he braced himself for impact, readying himself for the pain.

Second ticked away and he was surprised that the pain never came.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Death Scythe had been plunge deep into the world within Kagome's inner depth when she was defeated.

"My, my Death Scythe, are you so weak that you must return to us with only defeat?" A voice purred softly.

"Shut it, Belial," Death Scythe snapped.

"I will speak if I wish, 'wizard'," Belial mocked.

"Stop you two, we are not at war," another voice commanded.

"Arisu, I do wish that you stop ruining my entertainment," a soft voice called.

Belial scowled over her shoulder where the second voice was coming from.

"I do not exist for your entertainment, Mythrel," she growled.

"Calm down all of you," Arisu commanded.

The other three obeyed immediately. Arisu had become their leader. She had been the first to awaken after Kagome had turned fifteen and fallen down the well. Arisu, who had been known during her life as the Purifier.

"We were all friends when we were alive, why are you like this now that we have awakened?" Arisu asked.

"I was betrayed!" The other three females shouted at the same time, then hearing the others looked around in confusion.

"I thought so," Arisu's words were quiet.

They had all been the greatest of friends and the factions had merely been places where you could be taught by people with similar powers to yours. Then all four schools, E.G.O. hadn't been around back then, had suffered mass losses. Then the war had begun, one huge battle that had destroyed a large chunk of countryside had taken place.

None of the factions had recovered from the losses that had occurred in that battle.

All four of them had died there, at each other's hands.

It was shortly after that that E.G.O. rose, they soon took over becoming the dominant in the ongoing, yet subtle war.

"If it was any of us then…" Death Scythe trailed off.

"E.G.O." Mythrel continued.

"We've all been fooled," confirmed Arisu. "Everyone, every single psychic since the dawn of the Aquarian Age has been fooled."

"Don't that beat all," muttered Belial.

"We made a mistake," Arisu said firmly, "and now, thousands of years later, psychics are massacring and being slaughtered because of it… It's only right that we fix things."

The other beings nodded and looked into the inky blackness surrounding them. It was time to focus on Kagome.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

A barrier had sprung up around them.

Itsuki looked around in amazement then back to Kagome, whom he was sure was the creator of the force field.

She was sitting up her back straight, she hadn't changed physically as she had done the other times. Only her eyes changed flickering, swirling and shifting with different colors. The Mythrel's glow, Death Scythe's darkness, Belial's black, and a pure blue and pink that strangely enough didn't become purple.

She made no other move than that and Itsuki knew that he was going to have to defeat Fallen Angel without her assistance.

"All right then," he muttered to himself.

He considered his options carefully, seeing as he really had only one opportunity to make an effective attack.

He was sure he could pull off a large volley of wind blades, but was unsure if they would cause a sufficient amount of damage. He could attempt to form a vortex around the Fallen Angel to suffocate him but he had never attempted such before. Or he could try his illusion power, he was unsure of the affect that it would have for he had yet to try them out on an Eraser.

Itsuki finally settled for the first option. The wind blades had long since been his forte and he was uncertain of the other two methods.

And to this end, Itsuki closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He imagined the wind in his mind swirling wildly and out of control. All the power was there he only had to mold it. He 'reached' out and grabbed a fistful, honing it to deadly perfection, entwining the sharp edges with images that would inspire violence, spite. He did this repeatedly and then positioned each blade strategically, coming in at the target in a way that would be impossible to avoid.

A split second after closing his eyes Itsuki breathed life into his creations. The wind blades ripped into reality. Fallen Angel made no sound as the winds tore through his flesh. However after the first few waves he fell to his knees. By the time Itsuki's attacks finished he would be mutilated beyond recognition.

That was when Itsuki noticed the eerie glowing of Fallen Angel's eyes.

It had all been a trap!

"Kagome, his eyes," Itsuki said, alarmed.

"I will take care of it," Death Scythe's voice rose from her lips.

With that said the barrier fell and Itsuki felt Kagome's arms wrap around them before the world disappeared in a flash of both bright and dark lights.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

They watched as Fallen Angel fell to his knees. They were silent at first, no one commenting as the golden eyed boy took down an Eraser of substantial power.

"He's powerful," Belial commented, breaking the silence.

"Indeed, there is not the slightest likelihood that the Fallen Angel could survive this maneuver," Mythrel added.

"It feels very strange to be protected by a male, doesn't it? At least, it does now that we've awakened," Arisu mused.

"Kagome, his eyes," Itsuki's voice sent them on guard.

Then they noticed the Fallen Angel's eyes. They were glowing with barely suppressed powers.

"He's going to use the last the last of his energy to create an explosion," Arisu said out loud. "We've got to get out of here."

"I will take care of it," Death Scythe volunteered, moving forward.

The three other beings relinquished control to the Wiz-Dom member. After all, the faction of Wiz-Dom was a master of escape, compensating their lack of devastating power.

Death Scythe began to whisper an incantation, focusing her power on transporting their host and the male that had protected them, somewhere safe. Death Scythe had long ago perfected her form of teleportation. The teleported person would slip through an alternate dimension and then blink right back into their original one.

The process took half a minute total, most of it spent in translation, where you hung weightless for a moment, your surroundings devoid of any air.

Then they had arrived, touching down to the ground lightly. A cold wind blew snow around in lazy yet dizzying circles.

"We've returned," Arisu whispered.

"I thought it fitting," Death Scythe replied.

"Rest now… And Death Scythe, thank you."

Death Scythe faded back into the inky darkness of Kagome's mind, going to regroup after expending most of her power.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Itsuki became instantly aware of their new surroundings. The wind whispered in his ear as he surveyed the small, destroyed clearing they had appeared in.

It appeared as if a battle had recently taken place here. Trees were knocked clean off their stump, some looking like something had shattered them on impact. Snow covered the ground but he could make out two large and two small mounds on one side of the clearing and another large mound at the opposite end.

Graves.

"We've returned."

He looked down at his companion in surprise, this was not the voice of any of her other 'personalities', it seemed that Kagome had regained control of her body.

"Kagome, where are we?"

She was quiet and for a moment he thought she wasn't going to answer. Then her head tilted to look at him before redirecting her eyes to the graves. Her eyes had been slightly glazed over with tears.

"Both one, and five-hundred and one years ago I battled here."

"One, and five-hundred and one?"

"Yes, truly it happened half a millennium ago, but for me it was only a year."

Her words only served to confuse Itsuki further. But he didn't ask for another explanation as Kagome walked over to the four graves, leaving a trail of footprints that remain for only a second before the wind obscured them.

Itsuki followed her, leaving a respectful distance between them, as he sensed she needed some privacy. Kagome touch a hand on each grave, lingering over each to say a few words. The winds blew her voice away from him and so there was no chance for him to overhear.

Kagome finished with the last of the four graves and walked unsteadily over to the grave on the other side of the clearing. This time she was upwind from him and the wind blew her words into his ears. She hadn't put a hand close to this grave.

"A year has passed for me Inu Yasha, though it's been much longer for you. I keep expecting to wake up and see your eyes staring at me from the shadows… I guess you'll always haunt me like that."

The wind blew harder as if answering for the deceased, but Itsuki, being attuned to the wind knew it was no such thing.

"I really never expected you to… you know… I guess like calls to like. Not even you could ignore the calls, could you?"

He was missing a vital piece of information in this conversation. Even though he could hear what she was saying the meaning of her words was lost to him. It might be better this way. He had no right to pry.

"But I guess I'm a real softy, because I forgive you Inu-chan. Not because you deserve it in the end, but because you were once my best friend. I'll never forget what you meant to me back then, Inu Yasha."

Her words were becoming slightly more understandable as she revealed her meaning with each sentence as she continued on.

"So, in honor of what you once were to me, I pardon you from all wrongs you've committed against me… I hope your next life is happier than this last one has been."

Obviously finished, Kagome turned away from the grave and back to Itsuki. Her eyes were tired and Itsuki moved forward as if to catch her if she should collapse.

"I'm done Itsuki. Let go home."

He nodded, "come on then, I'll give you a piggy back for a while."

Itsuki crouched down and she climbed on without a word of protest. He shifted her to be sure she was secure and then started off at a jog, allowing his sense of direction to guide him. After a moment, Kagome's head came down to rest on his shoulder, her breath softly puffing against his neck.

About a mile out and Itsuki knew that she had fallen asleep, but he wasn't terribly bothered by her dead weight, though his power supply was somewhat exhausted from their earlier exercise.

They were on their way home.

Just a couple more days, which would be uneventful if his luck hadn't run out, and he could return to his not so normal life.

The prospect wasn't as tantalizing as it should have been.

Sighing heavily he hitched the sleeping her higher onto his back and picked up his pace. Kagome snuggled closer to his neck, her lips finally coming to a rest on his pulse. Itsuki was so distracted that he nearly missed her words.

"Home," she sighed.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Sono was making her routine check on her assigned rooms in the extensive care ward. She was presently giving herself a pat on the back for having made it out of nursing school and finding such an easy job when she reached the final room she had to check.

The patient in room four had been in a coma and showed no signs of waking from her extended sleep. The reasons behind her illness was unclear to the doctors, but they did all they could with the promise of a fat pay check hanging over their heads.

Room four gave Sono the creeps as traditional hospitals didn't have a room numbered for, as four also meant 'death', but the hospital had been designed by an American and the poor fool shouldn't be held accountable for their ignorance.

Dutifully she opened the door and stepped into the room, and then shut it behind her reluctantly as the smell of sickness closed in around her. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but she stepped closer to the woman on the bed so she could take the customary checks.

Sono was completely surprised when she looked down at the woman to see large eyes staring up at her from the pale face resting on the hospital's bleached white pillow. The large brown eyes of the patient blinked in surprise and a soft smile curved the woman's face at the look of surprise she was receiving.

"Hello," she said simply.

The nurse's eyes bugged out and she toppled backward, landing roughly on her bottom. After a second she recovered, springing back to her feet and posing like nothing had happened.

"Hello, Higurashi-san," Sono said pleasantly.

She moved over to the clipboard hanging on the foot of the bed and wrote down the time and date of the awakening of Higurashi-san, along with a couple of notes on her condition.

"Have you been awake long, Higurashi-san?" Sono inquired.

"No, only for an hour or so. Could you please tell me where my children are?" The woman's voice was pleasant, not at all rough from lack of use.

"Ah, you've been in a coma for a couple of months now Higurashi-san, and your children saw it fit to move you to this hospital. I believe the house your children have been renting burned down a few days ago but your son gave us the number of where their staying," Sono only was slightly winded after giving her monologue.

"Burnt down? Were they hurt," a note of panic crept into her voice, but that was only to be expected.

"They're fine Higurashi-san. As soon as the doctor clears you can give them a call," Sono soothed, reaching for her pager.

It took only seconds for the nurse to page the doctor that had been assigned to the newly awakened patient. The doctor was on her way.

"If you'll wait a while, Doctor Itsuki will soon arrive."

And without waiting for a reply Sono left the room, humming as she traipsed down the halls to go on a cigarette break. Her work was done for the moment and she need to take a breather.

Life was so nice and easy.

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

Dang it's late, and I have school tomorrow, but this chapter is finally out. Rejoice all you people it's got a decent length too, over three thousand words not including the end stuff.

It's final week for this semester and then I'm on winter break (yayness) so I'll probably get to updating sooner than normal. It definitely won't be as long as last time, I'm sorry for making you wait for over a month peoples.

Anyway this story is progressing right along. Sota admitted he likes Sakura, against her brother's wished, Itsuki and Kagome finally get to their destination (was all that traveling really worth the few minutes they were there?), you got a peak into Kagome's head, and Kagome's mom finally woke up.

**FYI- Itsuki is his last name, his first name is Naoya, but no one calls him that.**

Now I'm going to sleep.

. : Next Time : .

Dr. Itsuki

The experiment

A peak into the past

A man to man conversation

Home

Catching up

On a mental note


	18. Chapter Eighteen

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

_. : Last Time : ._

"I really like you Sakura-chan, I'm just so confused," he confessed.

"I really like you too."

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Itsuki was so distracted that he nearly missed her words.

"Home," she sighed.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

It took only seconds for the nurse to page the doctor that had been assigned to the newly awakened patient. The doctor was on her way.

"If you'll wait a while, Doctor Itsuki will soon arrive."

NOTE: The italic divider I s will mark the change of time from the present to the past and then back to the present afterwards.

: . Chapter Eighteen . :

Kun Loon Higurashi stirred fitfully on her bed as the nurse left. She was truly disturbed by this new development in the lives of her family, or at least what was left of it. She knew that her illness was a far cry from natural or even unplanned. Someone out there was plotting and she had a slight idea who it was.

Doctor Itsuki… The name brought up horrible memories and Kun Loon had to stifle the urge to run and break out into hysterical laughter. Her father would remember even better than she could but he was dead.

Grief filled her heart, over ridding the panic that had been deeply instilled into her. For some reason she had thought that he would live forever. Now he was gone, lost to them by all natural means.

"Hello again, experiment zero eight. It's been a long time since we've last seen each other hasn't it?"

The panic returned. She knew that voice! It haunted her dreams, constantly hovering on the brink of her awareness. Kun Loon turned and faced someone she had prayed that she had seen the last of. But despite her efforts the woman remained.

"Itsuki-san," her voice trembled.

"Tsk, Itsuki-sama, zero eight. Now I've already run all the papers so we're going to be move you to a more… appropriate setting."

The golden eyed doctor moved aside to let a hulking man into the room. The brute didn't say anything but lifted Kun Loon and started to follow Itsuki-san as she left the room and strode down a hallway. They were paused a couple of times by other doctors and nurses in the hallway but eventually got on elevator that was empty of anyone save the three of them.

"I'm so happy that our virus had the effect it was supposed to have. Without it we would have never been able to get you here, though you were the first human that we've ever test the stuff on," Itsuki-san commented.

The doctor took opened up a secret panel and pressed her hand to it and then took out a card and swiped it. The elevator beeped and dropped at a faster speed than it was supposed to.

"Since we've last had you with us we've moved facilities. Now we're right under the hospital, which we own. I've taken over the command from my mother a couple of years ago too. We're a thriving faction now, though my children are constantly running off and disappearing, even with some of our best spies on them." She tossed a look back at Kun Loon and added, "you'll be happy to know that they both go to the same school as experiment one zero."

Kun Loon's eyes widened, Kagome? Was she safe or were this monster's offspring hunting her down as they even now stood in this elevator. What about Sota? Then another thought occurred to her.

"Are you responsible for my father's death?"

There was a flicker in Itsuki-san's eye before she smiled coyly, "experiment zero three has long outlived his objective. If he had remained in our facilities we would have done it long ago."

She couldn't believe this. They had all assumed that father had died from natural causes. But now this monster was implying- no she was saying that he had been killed purposely. And on top of that her illness had been planed by these very same people. They were nothing but experiments to these people.

"Experiments one zero and one one have slipped out of our view for these past few days. So has my son, Naoya so I'm sure he's involved in this, he may even be setting one zero up for a fall. This is all very convenient, since my children know where their loyalties lie."

Her heart beat faster. Kagome had already suffered so much, true she had blocked her memories of her time as an experiment but she had also suffered at the hand of Inu Yasha. He had those same golden eyes and she knew that Kagome would eventually link them with her memories, just as Kun Loon had. When she was a small child, even after they had escaped and she had blocked her own memories, Kagome had had nightmares involving golden eyes. Kun Loon could only hope that her nearly instinctive fear would cause her to shy away from Itsuki-san's children. However, Kagome had never been one to let fear dominate her and this hope was nearly a lost cause.

The elevator shuttered to a stop.

"We're here," Itsuki-san announced.

The doors opened and Kun Loon was met with the cold, sterile environment that mimicked the E.G.O. aura. Neither Itsuki-san nor the hulking brute that carried her paused to look at their surroundings but instead they both marched off till they came to another set of doors with little glass, mesh windows at their tops. Itsuki-san opened one of these doors and the brute that carried here promptly threw her in.

The door was shut and locked again before she had time to react.

"Welcome to your new home, experiment zero eight. I hope you enjoy your stay, you'll be here for a long, long time," Itsuki-san's voice chimed from a PA speaker near the high ceiling.

Kun Loon was trapped and she knew there was no way out.

All she was left with was too much time to recall a similar situation that had long sine taken place.

_I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I ._

For as long as she could remember and then probably longer Kun Loon, at least that's what her father called her, had lived in captivity. Other than the occasional glimpse of another person or the world outside the rooms in which she lived, her world consisted of her, her father, and the three connected room in which she called home.

Kun Loon, or zero eight as she was often called by the voice on the loud speaker, was the second and only surviving child of her parents. Unfortunately her mother, once a highly respected choir girl, had died during her birth. Her father didn't like to speak of it and so she knew that the memory pained him, though their relationship was not brought around in a usual manner.

When she was young, which wasn't all that long ago considering she was only sixteen at the moment, her father would tell her many stories that he had picked up when he was free, the meaning of this last word she did not know though he used it often enough. He had once lived on a shrine and, though his powers were weak, he came from the bloodlines of a great warrior, an Arayashiki warrior.

You see Kun Loon was a one of a kind person, she inherited both Arayashiki and Wiz-Dom blood from her father and mother respectively. Both sides of her blood lay dormant because of what the people that hovered outside the walls were doing.

However, no matter how dormant her blood was she had an amazing sense of perception, and it was that exact sense that told her that something was going to happen today. She changed quickly into clothes that were always provided. The clothes were both neater and nice than they normally were, backing up her premonition. Then, just as she secured the obi of what she like to call her uniform, the door to the room opened. This was indeed an event because the doors to the rooms were hardly ever opened, especially while she was so near to them.

A girl about her own age stepped inside the room and looked around curiously until she spotted Kun Loon. The strange girl had dark blond hair and startling gold eyes, she wore clothes that Kun Loon had never seen before as all the clothes that she had ever seen were in the traditional style. Kun Loon was slightly envious for the clothes that the girl wore looked far more comfortable than any Kimono that she had ever worn.

"Kon'nichiwa zero eight, today's the day that I'm to take you to your new home," the girl announced awkwardly.

"Oh, I should go get my father then," Kun Loon replied softly while turning.

The other girl blinked, "oh no, I don't think you understand. I'm taking you, and only you, experiment zero three is to remain here."

The girl had emphasized the last word and Kun Loon frowned. What was the girl implying.

"Well… Um, I'm sorry I don't know you're name."

"You're to call me Itsuki-sama."

Kun Loon blinked taken aback but only for a second as she continued on.

"Well Itsuki-_san_ if I leave my father will be alone. I couldn't possibly leave him like this."

"Experiment zero eight, you are to come immediately or I shall have to use what may be considered excessive force," Itsuki-san's eyes narrowed. Then she added for good measures, "what happens to zero three isn't my problem you are. I'm sure that they still have a use for him if he's still here though the chance of finding another Wiz-Dom girl to breed with him seems unlikely."

"Oh… Well will you at least be sure to notify my father of where I have gone?" Kun Loon asked though she knew she was graining on Itsuki-san's last nerves.

"Yes! If you come _now_ I'll have zero three notified about your whereabouts," she practically screamed.

"Very well then, lead the way, Itsuki-san."

"Itsuki-_sama_!"

This time she did scream. Then she turned on her toe and marched away, Kun Loon, with a small smile on her face, followed after the fuming girl obediently.

"May I at least ask why you insist upon calling us experiments?" Kun Loon asked after five minutes of walking down a dark hallway.

"Because you _are_! We created you! You wouldn't exist if we didn't need to breed all the factions together! We need to win this war or at least control it!" Itsuki-san glanced back at her before looking back forward. "All you have to do is breed with the mate we have already created for you. My parents are already searching for a suitable man for me. When it's time my child and your offspring will be set together and from them we'll have the combination of the factions and the Aquarian Age will be ours."

Kun Loon was a little taken aback, how could she dismiss their situation like that? She was taking about their lives and their children's lives!

They finally came to a stop at another door and Itsuki-san unlocked it, careful to hide the door opening combination. The girl then stepped back and motioned for Kun to get it. Just as she was shutting the door Itsuki-san spoke one last time.

"The mate we've created for you is in the next room over. Experiment zero seven had to be subdued before we could get him in here."

Before Kun Loon could even gasp the door shut, the lock snapping into place. It took the surprised girl a moment to regain her composer before she could hustle over the door to the other room and flung it open. Kun Loon was fervently praying that Itsuki-san had been playing a cruel joke.

She saw no one on the bed and let lose an exaggerated sigh of relief. Kun Loon turned to leave the bedroom and shrieked. He had been standing right behind her! Eyes so blue that they could only be on a celestial, were narrowed at her. The look was only a step above a full out glare, and such a small step it was.

"Um… Kon'nichiwa, I'm Kun Loon. May I asked your name, Tenshi-san (translation: Mr. Angel)?" Kun Loon squeaked.

"I don't have one," the man grunted.

Kun Loon's eyes widened, genuinely stricken with all of her uneasy forgotten.

"Don't have one? Would you like me to help you acquire one Tenshi-san?"

"No," he growled. "You won't be here long enough for that. You're leaving now."

"I won't? I do not think we have a choice in that Tenshi-san, Itsuki-san was quiet vehement about locking we in here."

He finally back away, his eyes filled with annoyance.

"Stop calling me that stupid name."

"Black…"

That was the color of his hair, midnight black with an ominous red tint. Was that even possible? It must have been or he wouldn't look like that. Or maybe it was just the impression she got from his aura.

Then she realized that he had spoken and a blush heated her face. He must think her quite the featherbrain to say that then stand here staring at his hair.

"Ah, gomen nasai, Tenshi-san, I didn't hear what you said. Could you please repeat it?"

A scowl made its way onto his face and he threw his hands up in the universal sign of giving up on a lost cause. He then turned around and stomped into his room before pushing her out and slamming the door shut. Kun Loon landed hard on her bottom.

She muttered an injured noise before picking herself up off the ground and leaving the doorway, she refused to look like a fool just because she wanted to get to know the guy that Itsuki-san was to be her 'mate'.

Kun Loon spent the rest of the day familiarizing herself with the other bedroom, which she had claimed as hers. It was hours before she had gathered enough vehemence to approach the man's door with an offering of food.

Her first soft knock went unanswered. Her second and third, each growing louder in turn gained the same response, nothing. And so she reasonably went on to the next way to gain his attention.

"Tenshi-san? Are you there? I have some food for you. I know you didn't eat earlier and I don't want you to starve on my account."

There was still no response so Kun Loon cautiously opened the door with one hand while balancing the plate of food on the other. He was asleep, at least she assumed so because he was an unmoving lump on his bed. Then he rolled over to face her, his face was relaxed and smooth and his nose twitched slightly as she came closer. Not wanting to disturb the sleeping man, Kun Loon left the plate on his bedside table and snuck back out of the room. Wordlessly she wondered what a child of theirs would look like.

After hearing the door click behind her, the 'sleeping' man's eye opened and he sat up.

_I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I ._

While her mother was tucked, not so safely away in the E.G.O. headquarters, Kagome awakening up from her peaceful slumber. She almost immediately noticed that she was in a much different position than she had started off with, she was flat on her back rather than propped against Itsuki's back. She was also on a bed, and so Kagome could safely hazard a guess that Itsuki had gotten them back to the city.

Kagome sat up, battling a moment's dizziness, and looked around. She couldn't tell if she was relieved or disappointed that Itsuki wasn't in the room. The door slid open and previously mentioned boy looked in. He saw her sitting up in bed and entered the room, stopping a respectable ten feet away and leaving the door open.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Have I been out long?"

She was slightly confused about that. It had taken them several days to get to the graves and Itsuki was carrying her on the way home when she had last been awake. Itsuki shook his head, giving a negative answer to her question.

"Then how'd we get back so fast?"

"I called Kaname and his elder sister picked us up."

He winced after saying it, looking as he expected retaliation but none was forth coming. She knew that one of the beings in her mind had caused the reaction but there would be no retaliation because the 'voices' had completely faded from her consciousness, however Kagome could still sense them on the fringes of her awareness. Kagome really had nothing to say about how they got home. In fact she was grateful that they wouldn't have to spend the next day or so traveling. Soon she would be back with Sota.

"Are we at Kaname-san's house then?"

Itsuki nodded, a small, pleased grin on his face. Kagome only had to wonder about the look for a second before Kaname himself stormed into the room. He was silent or nearly so because she hadn't sensed him but then again she really wasn't paying attention. Kagome knew she had to work on that, such mistakes could get her killed out on the battle field.

"Good, you're awake. Now could you please get Itsuki to leave? He's long since overstayed his welcome, again," Kaname muttered.

"But I'm always over here Kaname."

"Exactly! When was the last I actually invited you over?" Kaname stressed the word 'invited'.

"But you have yet to throw me out," Itsuki pointed out.

"Not for a lack of trying, my sister won't allow it."

During the exchange Kagome sat back and watch the two exchange verbal barbs. Then she noticed that Kaname was actually losing patience with his friend. Kagome recognized this as an uncharacteristic action for the serious boy.

She cut in just as Itsuki was ready to let lose of another smart comment.

"Did something happen while we were gone Kaname-san?"

Kaname turned and gave her a piercing look. The look in his eyes was hard and searching but not being one to back down, Kagome found it in herself to meet the look.

Finally he relented.

"There have been more attacks. All of us have been attacked at least five times within the past couple of days and they always catch us when we're alone. Amou also sense the Eraser fleet drawing in closer. He's also sensed an increase in mind breakers in the area. Nakaura Sensei has received word that Darklore activity has increased and number of murders in the general area has increased by two fold." He took a breath before continuing, "and on top of that, my friend goes missing for about a week, after which I receive a phone call. In the end I learn about what he's doing out in the wilderness with a girl that I have yet to label as a friend or foe, is that it was a 'binding experience'. That's what's wrong."

No one spoke, there was really nothing more anyone could say.

With all the problems popping up against them and her comrades facing unfavorable odds, Kagome was in her element. She had finally come home.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

It was noon the day after the incident with Sakura when Noya finally cornered Sota in the young boy's room.

Sota had been enjoying the quiet before he had to leave for the noisy chaos of the cafeteria when Noya's aura suddenly appeared right behind him. Sota had turned quickly to face his angered teacher.

"Kon'nichiwa Noya Sensei," he greeted politely.

"Sota, I know you have an excellent memory. So, excluding that excuse, can you please tell me why you didn't obey my command about my sister?" Hi voice was sharper than normal.

Sota had to gather his aplomb before he could answer him. Then, seconds later, Noya's growl warned him of incoming danger. Sota had barely enough time to duck before a fist whizzed over his head.

"Tell me!" Noya demanded.

"I like Sakura, a lot, and I know she likes me. I'm not going to let you mow me over just because you're an overprotected brother and I'm not going to give into your intimidation," Sota replied.

This time Noya pounce, very much like a giant cat. He caught Sota head on and the two fell to the floor with a thud.

"Then you won't leave her be if I order you to?" Noya's voice was so low that he nearly didn't hear him.

"No."

"You pass," Noya announced after a second.

Seconds later Noya's weight lifted off Sota and the boy pushed himself off the ground. He was confused but accepted Noya's help to get off the floor all the same.

"Pass? Pass what?" Sota asked, allowing curiosity to get the best of him.

"I'll let you see Sakura. If you'll stand up to me to get to her, I really have no choice but to let you two, be together," his teacher replied simply.

"It was a test?" Sota couldn't help the incredulous note that crept into his tone.

"Yes."

"Oh."

And there was really nothing more to say.

. : End of Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

Hello! Merry Christmas and happy holidays from rainy Oakland.

This is you're Christmas update but hopefully I can update once or twice before Winter Break is over. I have a Muichimotsu update (hopefully) and maybe a Christmas special out before Christmas is over, but there's only tomorrow and the day after! Not enough time!

Plus my brother is here and I only see him twice a year, I love him to pieces so it's hard to drag myself away from him and the PS2 (mine is broken). But for you, my readers, I will try!

Now I'm sleepy so I will depart!

Sorry no next time, this time.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

Again the italic I s represent drastic time changes.

**Also, anyone panicking should read the bold at the end of the chapter.**

. : Chapter Nineteen : .

Kagome saw the interaction between her younger brother and the girl that stood by his side almost immediately. Sota's hesitation in leaving the young girl to tackle his returning sister made it obvious to her. Kagome winked at the girl when Sota embraced her.

"So Sota looks like you've found yourself a girlfriend," Kagome whispered in her brother's ear.

Sota turned unbelievably red and backed away from Kagome, mumbling under his breath. Kagome cackled evilly and hugged the girl Sota had obviously become attached to.

"_Kon'nichi wa_ (Hello), I'm Kagome, Sota's sister," she chimed as she swept the young girl into a friendly hug.

"Hello, Kagome-san, I'm Sakura. Noya is my _nii-sama_ (elder brother, respectful)."

"I see." Kagome looked around, she was alone because she was unsure if Noya would appreciate her bringing a loud interruption into his daily life. She had left, after Itsuki had abandoned her in Kaname's house. "Where is he anyways?"

"Have you come to talk to _ani_ (elder brother), then?" Sakura asked. "I knew that someone would sooner or later, but I prefer you to be the one that asks him."

Kagome was confused as to what Sakura was talking about and as any other person put in her position she asked Sakura about her words. Sakura bit her lips at hearing Kagome's questions, obviously she wasn't suppose to give away information of this sort but knowing when she was cornered, she talked.

"Noya, _nii-sama_ has retained the memories of his previous lifetimes. The earliest and clearest one he remembers is from someone from the beginning of the Aquarian Age. He was a Sightless as he is now but it was different back then, _nii-sama_ was a bad person. He made many people into sightless and was the founder of the Sightless faction. _Nii-sama_ also remembers the part of beginning of the Aquarian Age. He witnessed it in his former life," Sakura said after a second's hesitation.

Kagome considered what the girl told her, staring off into the endless sky. Sota touched her arm and broke her concentration.

"I think I'm going to have a talk with Noya," Kagome said finally.

"Please don't say that I told you anything. _Nii-sama_ doesn't like people knowing that he remembers."

"I won't say anything," Kagome assured the girl.

Sakura smiled, her face glimmering with relief.

"Sota-kun can show you to the tea room and I'll bring _nii-sama_ there."

Kagome smiled, "thank you Sakura-chan."

Sakura scampered off with one last touch on Sota's arm. Kagome grinned at the last, telling touch. She threw an arm over her younger brother's shoulder and patted his back enthusiastically.

"I like her Sota! Now all I have to do is arrange your wedding and I can have that sister I always wanted."

Sota's face flushed even more, causing his skin to resemble that of a tomato. He pushed Kagome off him and huffed, really not wanting to say anything more that would give her more fuel to her fire.

"Aw, Sota don't be upset with me, I love you," Kagome cried loudly.

His face wrinkled at his sister's crazy actions.

"Come on Kagome be serious."

"Very well then, if you're going to be like 'that'," Kagome pouted.

"Whatever, _ane_ (elder sister)," Sota muttered.

"Nice to see you showing respect, squirt. Now lead the way to the tea room, I'm going to have a nice long talk with your teacher."

Sota nodded, grabbed her hand, and lead hr back to the traditionally styled house and dojo. Sota navigated the house like he had been doing this for an extensive period of time and they arrived in front of the tea room in no time. Sakura was already waiting outside of the room indicating that Noya was already inside. Kagome smiled at the girl and pushed Sota in her direction.

"You two hang out while Noya and I have a chat, okay?"

"I think Sota-kun has another training session with Kimi soon, I should probably make sure that he sticks around for it," Sakura chimed.

"If he tries to skip we'll think of a suitable punishment together. We can bounce ideas off each other," Kagome promised.

Sota squeaked at their words and ran off, using his top speed to escape down the hallway. Sakura giggled and took after him. Her calls for him rang down the hallway after the two disappeared. Kagome beamed in joy at their childish behavior, she had feared that what had happened to him would cause Sota to close himself off to other people. After a second she straightened her face into a mask of utter seriousness and opened the door to the tea room. Noya was seated on a cushion sipping tea. The scene was like a step back in time with all the traditional factors in the room.

"_Kon'nichi wa_ Noya-san," Kagome greeted, stepping into the room and shutting the _shoji_ (paper door) quietly behind her.

"Good morning Kagome-san, I hope your time away was pleasant," Noya replied pouring tea into another glass and setting it across from him, making it obvious where she was to sit.

"There were attacked a couple of attacks during the journey but it was nothing that wasn't taken care of."

Kagome slid onto the floor cushion, absently tucking her feet underneath her as she covertly examined Noya from across the table.

"I see. Sota has been well, Sakura and him have formed a relationship between themselves and there had been some minor problems with Sota skipping lessons but all is well."

"That's nice, I hope that Sota now has enough control to be able to return to school."

"Indeed he is. Now, I suppose that this is not all that you wish to talk to me about?"

"No it isn't," Kagome took a breath and prepared to charge in though she might deeply offend him. "I've learned that you have memories, clear ones, of your previous life in which the Aquarian Age began."

She heard Noya suck in a breath in surprise and snuck a glance at him. A small frown curved over his face.

"Who told you?" He demanded.

Kagome blinked innocently, knowing that the full effect would not be lost on him.

"It's just something that I've picked up here and there. Can you tell me anything that can help Noya? Please?"

"I cannot tell you. The words pull me into the abyss of memory from where I relive my former self's mistakes," Noya paused, his face intent as he considered another option. "If you would I will allow you to walk the memories yourself and you can shadow the former me."

She clapped her hands together once, happy with his answer. Kagome knew the memories must pain him as she occasionally got those from the part of her soul that Kikyo had taken but by allowing her to access his memories was a sign that he truly did want to help. And she knew they could se all the help they could get.

"Very well then."

Noya reached a hand across the table and placed it on her forehead. His fingers were icy cold against her warm flesh.

"I will send you back to the beginning of the Aquarian Age."

Darkness engulfed her.

_I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I ._

Momoku (this name translates to "blindness") was afflicted with blindness, he however did not see this as a bad thing for the loss of his eyes had been intentional and he had caused it with his own hands. He was the first of what he liked to call the Sightless, a group of psychics in which he had specifically chosen all of the members.

His eyes had been a horrible sacrifice to make, but they had been well worth it as his new powers far exceed his previous potential. Turning in the direction of his newest subject he patted the girl's soft hair, absently making sure she had stayed where he had placed her. The girl, who couldn't have been older than six, whimpered in forced sleep and coward away from his touch. This was something that always happened with his subject and Momoku just put it down as a natural reaction to be knocked unconscious.

The pretty, ornate dagger that he used to cut the eyes of those he chose to make like him slid out of its sheath with a small hiss. The sound was amplified to him and he slid the dagger back in so he could hear the sound of the cold metal being drawn out of the leather. It was music to his ears.

Dragging the dagger a final time he heated the wickedly sharp blade above the fire that warmed the small hut he made his home. It was small, but he was hardly ever home and so it suited him perfectly. Plus the hut was easy to warm on cold days and fast to cool on hot days.

The girl on the bed stirred and he could hear her breathing and heart rate increase. Momoku smiled charmingly and held the dagger in his left hand out of her sight. The girl yawned and stretched, her small hands reaching high above her head.

"Hey isn't my bed!" The girl cried suddenly.

He, being the sadist he was and have as much practice as he did, knew this be the moment to make his move. His right hand gripped her chin and his left hand streaked down, cutting horizontally across her face. The smell of blood was instant and nearly overpowering. Her scream followed right on the rusty scent, just as loud and highly pitched as he had hoped.

Momoku felt the girl start to move and gathered her wrist into his right hand, holding them up and out of the way.

"It's all right, the pain will pass. Don't cry little one," he murmured, a twisted parody of comfort.

He continued to repeat words that lay along the vein of his previous ones. The words died down in time with her crying. His left hand clutched the dagger, unwilling to drop it and risk losing either the dagger or any of the blood that had gathered on it.

"Why?" She managed to croak out, finally.

"It had to be done. Now you will have greater power than you had before. Will you tell me your name little one?"

She sniffled, "Sakura."

"What a pretty name, little one. You may call me Momoku-_sama_."

Sakura nodded, he could feel the movement at his shoulder. Momoku sensed that she would no longer fight him and released her and moved back. He felt around and found a strip of cloth and wiped the bloody dagger off. Then he tossed the blood dampened cloth to Sakura.

"Here, tie this around your eyes. You are not to remove or wash it without my say so."

He could hear her shuffling, indicating that she was obeying his orders. With an easy movement the cleaned dagger was back in place.

"Momoku-_sama_?" Her voice was hesitant.

"Yes little one?"

He could hear her fidgeting on her pallet and put a hand on her head, silently telling her to cease her annoying movements.

"Are there other people like me?"

Again she had obeyed him and he couldn't help the smugness that filled him.

"Yes, a couple."

"Will I be able to meet them?" Her innocent voice was filled with excitement, the pain she had just suffered at his hands already forgotten.

"After you've recovered from your ordeal, little one."

"Oh, alright."

He was mildly perturbed by her acceptance. He didn't understand why he had not elicited the desired reaction from her. Sure she obeyed him blindly, both literally and figuratively but she didn't fear him at all.

Momoku left in a huff. Not bothering to talk to all the Sightless that he forced to camp around his hut, he stormed off into the forest. He wouldn't normally go off in the direction of the high build of supernatural energy without a plan as he was doing now. He came to his sense and stopped feet short of revealing himself to the sources of the energy. They were apparently holding a meet, "they" being part of the small E.G.O. group if he read their metallic auras correctly.

"Itsuki-_sama_ are you sure this about this?" One voice asked, full of worry.

"Of course she is. Are you questioning her decision?" A second demanded.

"No," the first voice squeaked.

"Silence, both of you!"

He figured that the third voice was this "Itsuki-_sama_" person. Silence filled the clearing and Momoku knew that the two other voices were very much afraid of the third.

"Now, let go. We have to hit at least three of the camps tonight if this is going to work."

The second voice dared to voice her thoughts.

"Which camp shall we strike first, Itsuki-_sama_?"

"Darklore, they could be the hardest with their superior senses. Then Wiz-Dom because they will be so easy it will be like a break. Next we'll attempt the Erasers, and finally we'll stop by the Arayashiki if there's time."

"Shouldn't we be saving the hardest for last?" The first voice nagged.

There was a "thunk" noise and Momoku knew that Itsuki-_sama_ had killed the annoying first voice. As if to confirm his suspicion, a second later the scent of blood filled the area.

"Well done Itsuki-_sama_, she was very much the nuisance," the second voice praised.

"Be quiet," Itsuki-_sama_ growled. "Let's be on our way."

The aura's moved away from his hiding place and towards a gathering of Darklore energy. Momoku, anger forgotten and curiosity stirred, follow a safe distance behind them. As they walked the power stirred and rose around the two E.G.O. women. Momoku could sense that the more powerful of the two, Itsuki-_sama_ probably, had used her power.

"And now for Act I: 'Arisu' betrays Belial," Itsuki-_sama_ announced softly.

_I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I ._

The world swirled back into focus around her and Kagome gripped the cushion beneath her for stability.

"You've seen all I can remember clearly the rest is a blur of sensation and color," Noya said calmly.

"This whole war was started by the E.G.O. faction, but all the other factions are under the impression that one of the other factions had betrayed them," Kagome frowned. "And that girl…"

"I know," he interrupted.

Kagome didn't press forward, instead she lifted her tea cup and took a sip of the now cold liquid. Noya didn't say anything further either, he just remain motionless as the silence settled upon them.

After endless silent moments Sota came for Kagome happily announcing that his training was done for the rest of the week, with the exception of the practice he would have to so daily. Kagome let her brother precede her as he strutted through the house, Noya followed behind them. There was an almost tearful 'good bye' scene between Sota and Sakura before Kagome said anything to Noya.

"I don't hold you responsible for what happened in your past life," she whispered as she pasted him.

And then she was gone.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Kun Loon stayed in her corner, only moving when circumstances demanded it. It was strange to be back in captivity when she had been free since before Sota had been born. She regretted that Kagome had spent her early years suffering a cage lifestyle but the girl didn't remember any of it so it had all turned out right.

Thinking of her daughter reminded Kun Loon of her 'mate', he hadn't made it to the outside but without his help Kun Loon, who had been pregnant at the time, and the young Kagome would have never made it out.

Once more the memories overcame her.

_I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I ._

Kagome had been five when Kun Loon next conceived. Kun Loon was overjoyed at the thought of having another child and Enzeru (name translate to angel), or Tenshi-_san_ (translates to Mr. Angel) as she used to call him, went about acting as if he was proud that she was carrying again.

There had been a child, conceive by mistake a nigh in the second month of their acquaintance. It had died shortly after they had learned of his or her existence. Kun Loon had been heart broken but Enzeru had already labeled that child as a "mistake". It was a few months before Kun Loon had become pregnant again, this time they had both agreed to have the child. And thus Kagome had been born.

Kun Loon was shocked to learn that Itsuki-_san_ had also conceived and had birthed a child before her, twins in fact. It had caused no end of awe an amazement that a male child had finally been born into the Itsuki clan. Itsuki-_san_ had told her, during one of her now routine visits, that her son, Naoya would be the mate of "experiment one zero", her precious Kagome.

The girl was completely oblivious to her fate, and would remain so if her parents had anything to say about it. Kagome was in love with her sibling already, though at the moment he or she was only a curve of her mother's stomach.

Soon Itsuki-_san_ would be taking her to get an ultrasound, or she would if Kun Loon and Enzeru didn't make it out of the facility as they planned.

It would all take place in several minutes' time. The escape would begin soon.

It began just as it had been planed. The nightly guard went past the room, not once checking the door, which had been indigenously wedged closed while remaining unlocked, how Enzeru had done it Kun Loon would never know. After the speck of light from the guard's flashlight disappeared they opened the door, Kun Loon tugging Kagome along as Enzeru lead the way, check each hallway and corner. They had been sneaking past the front hallway when an alarm sounded.

The hallway was swarmed within seconds and Enzeru's power had awakened from its dormant state in a terrible flash. He bade Kun Loon to leave and she had obeyed.

The glance she sneaked from over her shoulder while escaping was the last she had seen of her beloved.

_I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I ._

Kun Loon could feel the bitter tears building in her eyes. She had followed her and Enzeru's plan to the letter in regard to what happened after the escape. Still it remained a constant pain to her that she could never go back and find out what had become of her mate, though she was certain that he was dead.

She had no hope for herself but Kagome and Sota still had their chances. They could still find love, though Kagome had already been burned by the emotional rollercoaster once. Kun Loon knew that she would do anything in her meager power to see that her children could choose their own partners. And she would much rather die than see her daughter carted off by a cruel and cynical Itsuki.

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

**There has been confusion as to the previous chapter being the last chapter of this story. It wasn't so chill out people. But 'no next time this time' I meant that there was no "Next Time" section. I took the opportunity to plot the rest of this story out and in if I follow the plan exactly, like I intend to, there will be twenty four chapters and an epilogue.**

Anyways this chapter was all about the history, there won't be a history on the end of Kagome's journey because that doesn't matter really. However the next chapter will begin the stories rise to the climax, you'll see exactly what I mean in the next section.

As for this chapter's length, it's over three thousand word, story only, but is only nine pages long. It's short but I'm following my little plot sheet so, no whining at the moment I have no tolerance because my head hurts and I'm really sick. Plus I got up before ten thirty this morning of my own free will, so the world just might be ending.

Also, since this story is almost over, I want to know what you guys want to see next. Any Kagome based pairing, save Inu Yasha/Kagome, crossovers included or you can offer some interesting side pairings. However please don't give me plot ideas, I have way too many of them.

I still have one Muichimotsu chapter to finish before break ends, school starts again on the ninth and I have two honors math classes!

Oh yeah, Happy New Year!

. : Next Time : .

Guiding Israfel: Kagome's sacrifice

New wings: controlling the inner demon

Kagome's capture


	20. Chapter Twenty

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Twenty : .

It seemed as if Kaname hadn't appreciated her leaving without informing him of her destination. He obviously didn't trust her and had set the others of his group up to watch her. Kagome sighed and slummed forward on her desk. The Darklore was aggravating to say the least, but she knew his attitude had to do with Mana being out sick.

Peeking up from behind her folded arms she scanned the classroom. No one other than her dared to show such blatant boredom during Nakaura _Sensei_'s class, then again the school was full of wimps for it was rare that anyone did anything that got someone in trouble. Just wearing a _chou-ran_ (longer version of a _gaku-ran_, the boys' school uniform, often worn by the color guard or rebels) made her the school rebel it seemed.

Looking to her right she saw Tsukasa dividing his attention between listening to the day's lecture and keeping an eye on her. He was clearly the one Kaname had set to watch her during today, after all he was the only one in class with her. She was honored that the Eraser would split his time between her and Nakaura _Sensei_, she knew that the two were as close as any father and son.

She caught Tsukasa's eye with her own and sent him a peace sign before turning away. The Eraser troubled a part of her, having seen him in his true form where he lacked the pair of wings that were suppose to sit on his back, leaving him with only the pair that sprouted on his head.

One of the voices, of which she had not heard from for a long while, spoke to her.

_**He is a seraph, his other wings are missing.**_

Kagome looked in his direction again, mildly interested. In what the voice knew. Though the voices were apart of her she was not privy to all their knowledge, and they knew far more than she.

_**They were either taken or he pulled them off himself. He would be far more powerful if he had them but the power that he would receive could cause him to lose the control over his nature.**_

_He would be like Inu Yasha when his demon blood took over him, then?_

This would mark the first time she had ever conversed with one of the voices. Kagome knew she would not be mentioning this occurrence to anyone, any reasonable person would mark her off as being insane.

_**Yes, very much like Inu Yasha. He would be driven to complete "the goal", to exterminate any psychic that was not an Eraser. It is how the Eraser faction has been run for man a generation.**_

_Why?_

The facts only grew more interesting as the conversation progressed and Kagome found herself drawn into the Eraser dilemma, this Eraser's dilemma in particular.

**_It is the way the council runs things. If all Erasers were grant free will, the council would be threatened. The more I consider of it, the more I am sure that our dear Israfel took his own wings. This is currently a disadvantage but if we could persuade him the situation could quickly turn to our advantage._**

The voice was clearly plotting something but since an advantage was what they needed at the moment, she wasn't worried.

_How?_

_**If you can convince him I will go into his mind and help him grow new wings, and then I will help him gain control of the monster that will seek to control him.**_

_You can do that?_

_**With your help but I shan't say anymore unless you convince him to take this chance.**_

_I'll try._

The bell rang, announcing that the lunch period had begun. Kagome dropped herself back into the real world and reached for her bag so she could leave for the lunch room, no doubt Tsukasa would join her for the walk. She would speak with him about the voice's offer later.

Itsuki was already sitting at a table, chances are that he had skipped class again if he was already eating. He saw them approach and waved them over, it seemed as if they were the first ones to arrive. Kagome could sense the others drawing near and new that they would arrive soon. It was the perfect opportunity to ask Itsuki about the voices, as he was the only one to have met any of them.

"Hi Amou, Kagome. How's class been so far?" Itsuki asked, his face showing not the slightest bit of interest.

"Very interesting, Tonomori-_san_'s lecture was exciting, as always," Tsukasa answered, taking a seat. "Wasn't it Kagome-_chan_?"

"I wouldn't know, I was talking to someone with some very interesting things to say," Kagome looked into Itsuki's golden eyes. "I want to know what happened all those time we were attack. I don't remember, all I know is that the voices have access to my body."

"Voices?" Curiosity lighted Amou's voice.

"I began hearing them around the time in which I first encountered Itsuki. I continued to hear them but they have now faded far into the back of my mind. During class I was conversing with one." Kagome glanced at Amou from beneath her lashes. "She had some very interesting thing to say about Amou."

"That would be Mythrel, the Eraser," Itsuki mused.

Amou's curiosity showed through his facial features, "Eraser?"

"From what I can tell several psychic entities have been living dormant inside of you, but have recently awakened. The one you were speaking of was Mythrel, an Eraser. She was the power that you transferred to me on the day that Erasers attacked your home."

"And the other three voices?" Kagome pressed.

"The last one that had been released was from the Wiz Dom faction, Death Scythe. She fought the Fallen Angel and transported us to the graves. Before that was Belial, the heir to the throne of the Dark World, the Darklore kingdom. She's actually a relative to Bael, Kaname's incarnation. I have yet to see the last being emerge but I would wager a guess that she's an Arayashiki."

"I suppose," Kagome mused. "After all, all of them hated you at first sight so the last couldn't be an E.G.O. and I clearly am not blind and so she probably isn't a Sightless. I'm also a _miko_ so I'm inclined to believe that I have some Arayashiki roots."

"I see."

The three students sat in silence and picked through their food, think of the information that they had just gained. Kaname and Isshin joined the table and gave the three of them odd looks at their continued silence.

"What's going on guys?" Isshin finally asked.

"Nothing, we're all just in though, it's one of those day," Itsuki answered.

"I know I could barely drag myself out of bed this morning," Isshin agreed.

"Kirihara-_san_ is sick today?" Amou directed the questioned at the sulky Kaname.

"Mana stayed home she has been able to stay awake for more than an hour at a time for the past few days," Kaname grunted. "She's better today though."

A woman's intuition was a priceless thing, Kagome was completely satisfied that her assumptions had been clearly proven by Kaname's own words. The time leading to the bell that announced lunch's end, was fill will quiet no one talking not wanting to make Kaname any more ticked off than he was already. Normally Kagome would strike up conversation but she was too filled with her own planning to be bothered.

Amou waited for her to rise from the table while everyone else shuffled off to their class, even Itsuki who decided that it was getting to cold to nap outside. Kagome hung back and waited till everyone was gone before setting her plan in action.

"Amou, have you ever wished that you had your other set of wings back?" Kagome questioned.

Amou's purple eyes took on the mist appearance as he thought about her question. Finally he looked in her eyes and decided that he would put himself out on a limb and share the secrets of his past with her. The part of him that was a battle hardened warrior had found something in her that he knew he could out his trust in. Amou was one to trust his instinct, though not always immediately, always without question, his instinct had never once failed him.

"A long, long time ago, back when Kaname-_kun_, Mana-_san_, and all of the rest of you were children I was part of the Eraser fleet. I was granted the position of Seraph, this was a position similar to a colonel of the armies of Earth. I was given the power to grow another pair of wings, but the truth was that the council member could control my actions through my new power." Amou paused and took a calming breath before continuing. "It was like another me was their taking charge of my actions and running about to do the bidding of Rayyu-_sama_ and Azrael-_sama_ (NOTE: for those that are interested Azrael is the angel of death). It was a mission to eliminate a small gathering of psychics and I was to lead. I killed Kaname-_kun_'s and Mana-_san_'s parents. Kaname-_kun_ took the right wing. The loss of power was dramatic and I lost a lot of the power I had gained with rank, the other me lost control and I took back over. I was taken back and imprisoned in the fleet cells."

Kagome looked back at the school, far behind them. While he talked Kagome had directed Amou off the school grounds and towards the park. They were nearly there.

"Years later I finally ripped my other wing off and I was banished down to Earth with a good friend of mine. Something went wrong and we were separated, I lost all my memories, and finally Tomonori-_san_ found me. And we've just plodded along ever since. But to answer your question Kagome-_chan_ I used to wish for my wings back, to protect the ones I love, but Mana-_san_ showed me that I have enough power to meet my ends." He tilted his head, "Why do you ask anyways?"

Kagome sat down on a park bench, stretching her legs and out in front of her, before leaning back to look at the endless blue sky.

"Mythrel wants to give you your wings back," she said simply.

Amou was visibly startled and sat down next to her.

"I didn't think it was possible, not that it matters. I will not become a victim to my other self again."

"She explained some of it to me earlier, during class. Mythrel requires your permission to help you because you might need the power during what ever battle we face next. She wants me to transfer her into you and from there she will re-grow your wings and help you control your inner demon."

Amou reached around his back and touched the scar on his left, which occasionally pained him. The throbbing pain was a reminder of his blood written past.

"I'm sure that it pains you, remembering all the things you did," Kagome said placing a hand over his. "My soul is not without its deeply engrained scars. But I always try to go forth and protect what I love to my fullest. If you want I'll never speak about your other set of wings again."

Amou smiled, a smile of innocence that he had retained through out his life. His intuition was never wrong.

"I think I would like to have my wings back, if it's possible to control the other me. To have the power I need to be able to extend to my fullest potential," his eyes shut halfway. "Out of our group I'm the only one that hasn't gotten stronger since I we first got together, at the moment I might even be considered the weakest in the group." Amou sighed. "I can only help by sensing out faraway auras and healing wounds."

"We I think you're irreplaceable. I mean anyone can kick someone's ass but you're the only one that can fix them up."

"I guess."

"So do you want your wings back Amou?" Kagome asked again.

"Sure, why not."

_**Perfect, I'll need you to transfer me to him, or do you prefer that I perform the transaction myself as I did before?**_

"Mythrel's going to take over my body for a second and transfer her being into you, so don't try to run off Amou," Kagome explained.

"Alright."

_**Very well, I shall return soon.**_

Kagome felt herself being drawn backwards into her mind but this time she didn't loose consciousness. It was like being mind control all over again, but the panic felling that was usually present was absent.

Mythrel moved her body do she was leaning into Amou. Their faces were extremely close, so close that even Kagome in the back of her mind could feel the Eraser's breath.

"Let's get down to business, Israfel," Mythrel breathed.

Mythrel leaned forward and placed her lips over Amou. Kagome was stunned by the action but felt Mythrel's power leaving her immediately, forcing the teenager back into control. Kagome barely stopped herself from toppling forward.

"Amou?"

Kagome looked at the boy that was sitting next to her. His eyes had gone blank but he remained sitting up and was still breathing. Kagome rebalanced herself and looking into his face, waving a hand over his eyes.

"Amou? Mythrel?" She called again.

Still no response.

She sat back on her heels and looked around frantically, no one was around. There was a popping noise and Kagome spun back to Amou. He was falling forward and light was pouring from his back. Kagome shot forward to catch him and stared at his exposed back.

Wing bones had ripped through the boy's back and _gaku­_-_ran_ top. The bones were bloody but continued to sprout forward and then outward, much like a tree's growth. Kagome looked around again, this time even more frantically. They were still alone.

Kagome had a decision to make now. She could wait with Amou and hope that either Mythrel woke up so she could tell her what to do; all the while praying that no one came by. Or she could go and get help from Itsuki or Nakaura _Sensei_, and still hope that no one came around.

The thick joint of Amou's new wing, it appeared as if the left was returning first, ripped through the boy's scarred skin. The scar looked newer than the one on the right. Kagome nearly gagged at the sickening noise of the bone and blood bursting through her friend's living flesh.

Her decision was made.

Kagome stood, pushing back an ocean of dizziness as it appeared that the transfusion took more out of her than originally planed. After stumbling a couple of steps Kagome straightened and started towards the school.

She ignored the pain that ripped through her as she ran.

Golden eyes watched her from their hiding place.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

When Mythrel, via Kagome's body, pressed her lips to his, Amou felt the power that had controlled Itsuki during the fire enter him. Seconds later he was in the back of his mind, in the empty abyss that he rarely entered.

A woman stood before him. Her long blond hair was pulled back and she was garbed in Eraser uniform. Much to his surprise she had two pairs of wings signifying her high status in the fleet.

"Hello Israfel. I am called Mythrel," she greeted.

"_Kon'nichi wa_ Mythrel-_sama_."

"Are you ready to begin?" Mythrel asked, a smile on her face. "Once you begin you cannot stop till it is complete but we are far beyond the grip of pain here."

"What must I do?" Amou asked.

"I will guild you Israfel. We will channel both my and your power and recreate your wing. And when he appears I'll teach you to control your inner demon."

She walked towards him and Amou had to keep himself from stepping back, so great was he presence. She stepped behind him and leaned down so her breath puffed over his neck.

"It is god that you do not fear me, Israfel. Now lift your hands," she ordered.

He brought them up, just below eye level, his palm outwards and his elbows bent. Mythrel placed her palms onto of his and he could feel the power around them build.

"As we meditate we draw our combined powers into your body. Then we simply mold it into a set of wings." Mythrel whispered, "wings are meant to be a mere extension of your power, you only need to know how. Now breathe."

Amou sucked in a breath in order to begin the process of meditation and was surprised to see that the surrounding area glowed softly with the tones of his power. He really should have expected it though, he was after all inside his mind and meditation was the practice of drawing in your powers in order to tame them.

Seconds later all of Amou and Mythrel's combined power had been drawn into his body and their surroundings were ablaze with light. Mythrel slipped her hands off his and placed them on the outer side of them, her arms still resting on his shoulders.

"Now that all of our power is gathered we will mold the raw energy into a new set of wings. As the wings develop they will become reality and push through the scars that remain from your previous set. The technique that we're using is one completely unique to Eraser, as we're 'angels'. It's called Dream Creation." Mythrel explained.

"How do I form the wings?" Amou questioned.

He could feel the Mythrel's smile grow wider. Her hands reached out slightly, not moving so far as to force her body against his back and grasped. She pulled them back in and he saw that they had closed over a cord of raw energy. The energy flickered and wiggled as if attempting to escape but Mythrel held firm.

"When you grab your power you have to hold it with your mind, otherwise it will escape. The energy has yet to be refined to a tangible point. Now grab a coil so we can form your left wing. Your left it the freshly scared side, correct? We'll start there, it'll be easier for the bone to push out."

Tsukasa nodded and reached a hand out into a river of squiggling energy, hesitantly. Amou grabbed on to it up dropped it in surprise as it wiggled wildly much like a fish out of water would. Taking in a deep breath he pushed both hands in and grabbed a coil of energy, holding onto the tenaciously squirming light with all of his will.

"Alright, I've got it," Amou mumbled.

"Relax, Israfel. It is only our power, it can do nothing to harm you in its unhampered state," Mythrel soothed.

Amou relaxed slightly, though he was a bit uncomfortable with how she kept calling him Israfel, as the name was not a favorite of his.

"Shaping the bone is as much mental as physical. You harden the energy slightly," Mythrel, in demonstration, gave the coil of energy that she was holding a firm squeeze and it became still. "Now, you can mold it like you would with clay. While the bone begins to take shape you have to press thoughts into it."

"Thoughts?"

"Yes, like how a bone looks. The texture, weight, and thickness of the bone. How you used your wings to fly. Strength that you would like the bones to contain. And on and so forth."

"I see.."

"Then hop to it."

Sucking in another deep breath Amou stiffened the energy and began to shape it. He impressed thoughts of strength, power, protection, lightness, and white into it. Before he knew it, Mythrel was laying a hand on his shoulder in order to gain his attention.

"You're coming to the joint Israfel, you have to remember that it needs to bend. If you do not impress 'bend' into the joint your wing will not function correctly."

Amou nodded and looked over what he had already done. A small stream of raw energy strung from the river and to his hands where he had changed it from its raw form and into a long wing bone. The end that he had started with disappeared into a dark hole in the blinding light of his surroundings and he knew that it was at that exact point it was exiting his mind to become reality.

Satisfied he got back to work.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Kagome had to pause her run not even halfway back to the school to lean on a tree. Her breath left her in heavy pants and a light sweat covered her brow. It was the beginning of her first all day hiking experience in the _Sengoku Jidai_ ("Warlord Era" or "Era of the Warring States") all over again.

Shoving off the tree and straightening up again she took off again, this time at a slow jog. It lasted only a second before she noticed the woman that was standing right in front of her, directly in her path. The woman was tall with dirty blond hair and was wearing a doctor's outfit. Sunglasses shaded her eyes from view up Kagome could tell that she was staring directly at her.

"Can I help you?" Kagome asked, hoping to soon be back on her way.

"Are you Higurashi Kagome?"

Kagome blinked and hid her surprise, this person may actually have a reason for seeking her out.

"Yes."

"I'm the doctor that was put in charge of your mother, and… we need you to come to the hospital immediately."

Kagome's reaction was immediate. "Something happened to _Oka_-_san_?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid that she is in critical condition currently. Your presence is required immediately."

The teenager paused, a sudden thought hitting her.

"How did you know where to find me?" Suspicion colored her tone.

The woman's features twist and her hand lifted to take of her sunglasses. Her eyes were revealed to be a familiar gold color. Kagome stepped back but the woman had already caught her wrist and Kagome was too weak to fight against her surprisingly strong grip.

"Hello experiment one zero. I must say that it is a pleasure to see you after such a long separation," the woman purred.

"Who are you?" Kagome demanded.

"I am Itsuki-_sama_, leader of the faction E.G.O. I believe that you will be coming with me now, your presence is required immediately. However you mustn't be conscious for our little trip."

Kagome felt cold fingers pressing roughly to her neck and then she was lost as darkness enveloped her.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

The wings were finished.

Switching from the left wing to the right had taken a while, and putting the feathers on had been a bit of a hassle but at not-so-long last they were finished. Amou could fill the power rushing through him and struggled to push off the heady feeling.

Finally able to focus he looked up at Mythrel and found her scanning the area with an intense look.

"He's here," she whispered.

The prickling feeling sparked on his neck and Amou spun. Out of the darkness that now reigned over his mind a figure emerged. The blond hair was familiar and the cold violet eyes even more so.

The "other him".

"You brought me back, how generous of you," his voice was a cold parody of Amou's.

"Amou," it was the first time she had called him that and it snapped his attention to her. "Remember that essentially he is you and you are the only one that is able to control yourself. In the most base form, he is the dark part of you that you've cut off."

"How charming, but as him, as Israfel I can control him as well."

"I know you can do it Amou, you've controlled Israfel for the past couple of years. He's only had a little power boost."

"Okay, I'll do it," Amou whispered.

"You are pathetic," Israfel snickered, taunting his already damaged self esteem.

Amou ignored Israfel's words and stepped towards him, gathering his power around him like a cloak. Israfel mirrored his actions and likewise their shared power gathered around him, though Mythrel's power sided only with Amou.

"You cannot defeat me," Israfel announced.

Amou sent a ball that was a mix of fire and light hurtling towards Israfel and the other him didn't even attempt to dodge. He let the attack hit him straight on. Oddly enough as the attack burned the skin Israfel's chest, Amou felt the burn stinging on his own body. The pain caused him to gasp.

"You cannot defeat me," he repeated. "After all I am you."

It occurred to Amou that Mythrel had told him to "control" Israfel not kill him and so he now only had to figure out how he was going to go about doing so. He remembered the chains that the Erasers had chained Kagome with and set about forming them in much of the same way as he had done with his wings.

The links would be heavy and strong, but instead of linking up singly and into a chain he created a web, a linked net. Israfel saw his concentration on the net as a distraction he could use to his advantage and moved to attack. However his previous practice with Dream Creation allowed Amou to finish the net in the span of a few seconds and before Israfel could move he found himself entangled in the heavy metal links.

Moving quickly Amou connected the links making escape impossibly for the evil side of himself. Amou knew that this way he could keep Israfel stashed in some dark corner in his mind until the event that he may actually be needed, which was extremely unlikely.

"Well done Amou," Mythrel congratulated.

Amou blushed and moved back to the woman that had helped him so much in recent times.

"Are we finished Mythrel-_sama_?"

"Indeed we are. I wake you up in a second, as soon as you are oriented check your new wings to see if they're functional, and then we'll find my host, after you put them away of course."

"Alright."

"Close your eyes Amou," Mythrel ordered.

As he obeyed he could feel his body swimming back into the world of the living. It was as if he was coming out of a dream.

Amou sat up, pushing off the rough, dirt ground, and looked around. He was alone and the sky which had been bright when he had entered the park was now darkening with the coming nightfall. The slight weight on his back caused him to check the area anxiously. Two large fluffy wings rest there, dampened slightly with blood. Amou touched one touched one carefully and it twitched, he could feel the touch and a shiver trailed over his spine.

The feeling cause him to look around, again. This time however, he was searching for Kagome. She was no where to be found. Placing up the disguise that hid his wings he stood and headed off towards the school, figuring that Kagome might have gone back.

Talking further ahead caused him to peer down the ways and he spotted Kaname, Isshin, Itsuki, and Haruna coming towards him. Amou quicken his pace. If anyone knew where Kagome was it would be one of them. They met halfway and both Amou and Itsuki's mouths opened at the same time.

"Have you seen Kagome?" They both asked.

Both blond boys' eyes widened in surprise and slight panic.

"Itsuki-_san_!" Another voice called.

They all turned and saw Sota running towards them, the ends of his bandana flopping behind him. He was in his uniform but his face was twisted in fear and he was clutching a paper tightly in his hand.

"Sota?"

The boy stopped in front of the group, attempting to catch his breath. He had obviously run a long ways to get there.

"Itsuki-_san_," he panted. "Kagome's been kidnapped!"

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

Ohh, cliffy. You hate me don't you?

Too bad, if you kill me the story ends with me! At least this chapter is on time, though I can say that the next will be. At least the next chapter promises to be good, right? One chapter down; four more, and an epilogue to go. For some reason I don't count the epilogue as a chapter.

As it is, I'm already planning on what I'm going to be doing when this story is over. This is how my plan goes, for now at least: first put in a couple of chapters of uninterrupted Muichimostu, next finish and post Bandit By Day the prequel to Thief in the Night, after that I'm going to hop onto a xover that I have never seen before, IY will be AU, I'm doing this at a request of my beloved Steppy.

And that's it so far.

Till next time.

. : Next Time : .

Itsuki: the family betrayal

The secret behind the eyes

Kun Loon's spite

Kagome, meet your mate

Rescue


	21. Chapter Twenty One

Disclaimer: _Inu Yasha _and _Juvenile Orion_ belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Sakurako Gokurakuin respectively and Inazuma in no way reflects upon the eventual plot of either story.

* * *

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Twenty One : .

"_Okasan_! _Okasan_ I was going to tell me baby brother a story but I don't know what to tell him. Will you tell one to both of us?"

Kun Loon smiled down at her young daughter in amusement and patted her bulging stomach.

"How do you know that it's going to be a boy, Kagome?" What if it's a girl?"

Kagome shook her head, "no _okasan_, I was a brother."

"Then he must be a boy," Kun Loon laughed.

Her daughter tugged on her arm again.

"Tell us a story _okasan_!"

"Alright. What story would you like to hear?"

"A new one! One that I've never heard before."

"Okay. Once upon a time there was a boy born into a family of hunters. The hunter boy was thought to be one of the best hunters in the whole kingdom. One day the boy saw and fell deeply in love with his king's daughter and the princess felt very much the same for the handsome hunter boy."

"My brother wants to know if the princess was pretty," Kagome interrupted.

Kun Loon smiled and nodded, "she was the most beautiful girl in all the lands. And though princes from far and wide asked her to be their bride, the Princess only had eyes for the Hunter. The King, however, didn't want her lovely daughter to marry a common man and told the Hunter that if he completed the quest he gave him he would be allowed to marry the Princess. The King didn't think that the Hunter could complete the quest even if he was fool enough to try."

"What was the quest?" Kagome asked, her eyes wide.

"The King told the Hunter that he had to go out and kill the witch that lived on the other side of the kingdom. So the Hunter said goodbye to his love and left to fins the witch. He traveled for a long time but eventually came the place where the witch lived. The Hunter waited till the witch was asleep and killed her in a single blow. The witch's blood splashed everywhere and got into his eyes dieing them dark with blood and gold for each drop of blood spilt from the defenseless witch. The hunter then began to make his home, hoping that now the King would let him be with his love."

"But _okasan_, what happened to the Princess?"

"After the Hunter had left on his quest the King locked his daughter in the top of his highest tower. The princess grew increasingly lonely as the days passed and cried her sorrows every day. The Princess cried so much that her tears washed her eyes blue. Eventually the Hunter came home and forced the King to honor their agreement. The Hunter and Princess were reunited and married shortly after.

"And they lived happily ever after," Kagome chirped.

"Yes, and they lived happily ever after."

Kagome clapped, "_okasan_ that was such a pretty story. My brother liked it too!"

Again Kun Loon smiled.

_I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I ._

"Young master Itsuki, welcome back."

"My mother sent for me," Itsuki prompted, not returning the greeting.

The secretary ignored the slight and nodded, "Itsuki-_sama_ is waiting for you down in the labs."

Itsuki nodded and walked to the elevator. The elevator gave a little jolt and started down as Itsuki leant against its back wall moodily. A messenger from his mother had found him just as they had started to search for Kagome. His mother had the worst sense of timing in his opinion. He was still upset with her because of her reconciliation with E.G.O. though she had previously been banished by the faction when he had been a young child. And now she was pulling him from the search for Kagome.

The door slid open and Itsuki stepped out. His mother instantly moved forward to greet him.

"Naoya, I'm happy that you've come. I have some interesting things to show you."

Itsuki nodded and followed his mother towards the back of the labs, where the holding chambers were located. His mother led him to the first chamber.

"Naoya, for the longest time E.G.O. has been looking to take hold of the Aquarian Age."

"I know," he muttered.

"Our last attempt was to breed a person with all of the factions in their genes, with E.G.O. having the strongest presence. We worked on it for a long time and we had finally bred a child with one forth Darklore, Eraser, Arayashiki, and Wiz-Dom blood in her. I was put in charge of the 'experiments' save for the time in the hospital for my pregnancy. Several years after you, Haruna, and experiment one zero were born the experiments escaped. Only one experiment was recaptured and, as it was an insignificant experiment, I was banished from the E.G.O. facilities. I redeemed myself a while back when I located and recaptured one experiment but image my pleasure when I stumbled upon and caught the most important experiment earlier today."

"What does this have to do with me?" Itsuki asked.

"Patience, Naoya. I'd like to show you experiment zero eight, the experiment I recaptured a while back."

His mother opened the door and walked in and Itsuki followed after her. The room was the blank whiteness that he had become accustomed to with the time he spent in the labs. The only spot of color was the woman sitting in the corner in a white hospital gown. Her dark hair was stark against the white walls.

"Hell again, experiment zero eight."

The dark hair moved and a face was revealed. She looked at them with a fierce dislike burning in her eyes.

"Have you come to taunt me again, Itsuki-_san_?"

The woman's eyes were dark with violate emotions directed at his mother. What caught his attention was that her facial structure was oddly familiar to Itsuki.

"No, zero eight, in fact I've brought me son down here to meet one zero."

The woman's eyes turned towards him and he could see the flickers of hate that smoldered there.

"Stay away from my daughter, murderer," she spat. "Your son has your eyes, Itsuki-_san_. I'm sure his hands are stained with as much blood as yours."

"If you insist upon insulting my son, zero eight, we'll take our leave."

His mother swept out of the room but Itsuki hesitated in following. Slowly he approached the woman in the corner, ready to jump back if she lashed out at him.

"I can help you get out," he said.

"I don't need your type of help," she hissed.

He stood with a sigh and left to follow his mother. He knew he wouldn't be able to reason with the imprisoned woman. Itsuki had to hurry in order to catch up with his mother.

"One zero's powers had become active so we had to put her in a tank full of sedatives."

They entered the last holding chamber. There was a tank set up in the middle of the chamber. A female body was floating in the tank's liquid and her dark hair swirled around her.

"This is experiment one zero."

"Mother why have you brought me here?" Itsuki asked once again.

She simply smiled at him.

"Well Naoya, in order to complete this project we need one zero to bare the child of an E.G.O. member. There are only a handful of males in the E.G.O. faction but it has already been predicated that it will be your child that one zero will carry. One zero is to be your 'mate', to put it crudely."

Itsuki's eyes widened marginally at what his mother was telling him.

"Power restraints are being brought up and we'll take her out after putting them on her. Then we'll leave you two to do as you would," she continued. "Hopefully she'll be with child before the months out."

The door opened slightly and his mother briefly stopped her speech in order to retrieve the power restraints. She moved to the side of the tank and climbed up a latter, carefully she balanced the box containing the power restraints on the tank's edge.

"Naoya come help me," she ordered.

He did as she ordered without thinking, his mind still lost from his mother's earlier announcement. He looked down at his "mate" and caught sight of her face.

It was Kagome.

His mother pressed a button and the liquid in the tank began to drain out.

"Grab her wrist and pull her out, Naoya."

Again he obeyed, and cradling her still form to him he set her down on the bed that inhabited one corner of the room. His mother pressed more buttons and the tank sank into the floor. She then came to stand by his side.

"She rather pretty," she said.

He nodded, his voice not responding in a favorable manner.

"I'm glad you agree, it make your part easier." She tapped her wrist watch. "I'm going to have to leave you two. I have a meeting coming up. I trust you'll do what you have to Naoya."

She left with waiting for his response and Itsuki sat on the edge of the bed, overwhelmed. Looking down at the unconscious girl laying behind him, he knew that he couldn't follow his mother orders. Itsuki had never been very loyal to the E.G.O. faction in the first place, only his loyalty to his family kept him from prompting Mana to put an end to their ridiculous yet extensive scheming. His family, beside Haruna, had never been particularly close but they were blood and he hadn't been able to turn away from that.

Now they were asking him to rape a girl in order for them to continue their plans. Itsuki would have never been able to do even if he hadn't known the girl. But he did know her, it was Kagome. Kagome had lost her father, spent the first years of her life treated as an experiment and prisoner, and had to put her mother in the hospital because of his mother and family.

It all boiled down to the fact that he was going to have to betray his family in order to rescue Kagome.

His hand stroked through Kagome's wet hair and shut down the part of his brain that was pondering the consequences of betraying his family. Instead he began to formulate a plan to get Kagome out of here. He would like to get her mother too but knew that she wouldn't come with him willingly even if he had Kagome and resolved to have her rescued at a later date.

Rising he went to the door and peaked out. No one was guarding the door to the chambers but there were many E.G.O. psychics between the holding chambers and the elevator door. Softly he shut the door and again he looked around the room, examining every inch of the enclosed space. There were no windows but given the knowledge he had of the hospital's schematics he guessed that there was a water pipe that ran parallel to the holding chambers to supply them with fresh water.

Giving his best guess Itsuki placed his hand on the wall and used his hallucination powers to give him a visual of how the pipe laid. Making precise cuts with the wind Itsuki carved a tunnel of sorts into the pipe. He checked the other side of the tunnel to be sure that his estimations were correct and found that he could fit Kagome through the tunnel and the water pipes would network them to an outlet outside of the hospital.

Itsuki went back into the chamber and took the power restraints off her wrist. The small metal bracelets fell to the floor with a clank. He maneuvered her and shifted her onto his back, prepared to carry her as he had during their trip to the graves. She settled onto his back comfortably with a small mutter and Itsuki headed out through the hole in the wall.

Seconds later Itsuki was hiking through a tunnel, his legs in cold water up to his knees and a soft body pressed to his back. Kagome's head shifted and Itsuki could feel her breath whispering across his neck, causing him to shiver.

"I'll do my best to keep you safe Kagome," he promised.

Deeper into the water tunnel they went.

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

A short chapter and a cliffy I bet you all want to kill me. At least this chapter is on time! Still there are only three chapters and an epilogue to go. Feel the angst people.

So, thinking ahead I think the next chapter of this story is due out on Spring Break, which is also the time I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed… yeah…

This chapter features Itsuki! And pretty much no one else, except for the beginning part. I hope you peoples get the hint from that segment. Kagome's eyes will remain blue!

_Muichimostu_ is next!

Sayonara people

. : Next Time : .

Noya: a puzzle that transcended time

Darklore and Erasers: the greater of evils

The destruction of a race

Itsuki: Gathering forces


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Twenty Two : .

"Itsuki has her."

Sota could feel their eyes on him, staring with confusion and disbelief. He too didn't completely understand what was going on. All he knew was that Kagome was safe. Still he tries to explain it to the people whom had been helping search for his sister.

"She's not awake and I can't locate where she is but she feels… safe, peaceful. Kagome only feels like that around Itsuki. Where will he take her now that he's rescued her?

"My house, he knows my sister isn't home."

The reply had come from the Darklore, Kaname. Sota could see the shady aura blanketing the group. Kaname was the dominant psychic here. When Itsuki was around, his aura danced around the group twirling aura colors into a rainbowed mass. The two auras frequently twinned about each other, battling for dominance.

"We'll wait for them at your house then."

The group started off. Kaname and Mana lead the way, Haruna and Isshin followed, and Souta and Amou brought up the rear. Sota walked near the Eraser as a piece of Kagome seemed to cling to him.

It was unexpected when Sota found Noya to be waiting for them up ahead. The group approached cautiously.

"What are you doing here Noya _Sensei_?"

"I have a puzzle that you will require. A condition to the end of this damned war."

Kaname sighed, "let's all go inside."

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Finally they were out of the water pipes.

Looking around at the bright, empty street, Itsuki wondered what to do next. He had to get them somewhere his mother couldn't reach, somewhere safe. On his back Kagome sighed, her hand began to stoke over his chest. The unconscious girl nuzzled into his neck and placed a small kiss on the exposed skin.

Itsuki blinked and began to run.

To Kaname's house it was.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"I will tell you as I was told."

Amou watched the man as he unraveled the bandana from his head and took a deep breath. As the Sightless began to speak the around they grew colder and his eyes began to glow.

"Listen as I tell you how it will be:

"_Betrayal burns through each house.  
Seek the truth beyond the lies.  
The woman with the serpent's tongue.  
Follow the one with golden eyes._

"_Face the greatest of evils  
__Go forth tortured knight.  
__A slaughtered lamb  
__Your tarnished light._

"_Arise broken seraph  
__Blood back, regrown wings.  
__An ancient knight's sword  
__Cut the puppet master's strings._

"_With new eyes to see,  
__All breath held still.  
__Behold the new truth,  
Erase them he will."_

"What's that suppose to mean?" Isshin demanded.

"That's your job to figure out. I'm only here to observe," Noya said rewinding his bandana.

Silence was thick in the room as Noya stood and left. Mana broke the unnatural quiet.

"Let's get started then."

Amou felt Mythrel stir in his head. She had been resting since they had left the park for Kaname's home.

"The first part doesn't really seem to fit with the rest but Itsuki and I have gold eyes," Haruna said.

"But which one of you, I'm sure there are other people with golden eyes as well. How about the houses? Higurashi's is the only one I know that burned if we take the section literally," Isshin added in.

Kaname drummed his fingers on the table and spoke, "just skip the first part."

"_The greatest of evils_? Maybe they're referring to Darklore," Isshin put out.

_**Wrong**_

"Wrong," Amou repeated without thinking.

Everyone turned in his direction, even Sota. Amou remained clueless for a second but Mythrel prodded him form his mind.

"How so? Darklore are devils and demons. Both Wiz-Dom and Arayashiki are holy people. And the Erasers are angles. Who else can be the evil, E.G.O.?" Shiba questioned.

**_Angles? A laughable thought. Erasers kill to reach an irrelevant goal by order of the Angel of Death._**

"Mythrel believes the answer to be the Erasers," Amou said finally.

"Mythrel?" Mana looked confused.

"Kagome-_chan_ transferred her Eraser entity to me. Her name is Mythrel and this afternoon she help me regrow my wings," he explained.

"Regrow your wings? Amou, you're in the puzzle! The third part," Mana exclaimed. "Was Mythrel-_san_ an angle knight?"

_**I was as was any other Eraser sent to earth. You are one as well Tsukasa.**_

"She was, I am one as well."

"Then Mythrel-_san_ is in part three as too. And one of you is in part two, as well."

"Does Mythrel have a sword so you can 'cut the puppet master's strings'?" Shiba questioned.

**_I do. I will produce it for you when I have the energy required for the feat._**

"She does."

"But who's the 'puppet master'?" Haruna wondered.

Amou answered promptly, not needing Mythrel to answer this part. "Azrael-_sama_. He controls officers by brainwashing of their other selves."

Isshin thought to summarize what they had discussed orally, "so basically, Amou has to get Mythrel's sword and kill this Azrael person."

_**Doing so would destroy the Eraser faction completely. Without a leader they would fall into civil war and eventually they would all kill one another.**_

"I can't kill Azrael-_sama_," Amou announced. "That would cause the extinction of all un-mind broken Erasers."

"But unless you do it, the war won't end," Haruna said softly.

Once again there was silence.

And again Mana broke the tense air, "what id you took Azrael-_san_'s place?"

_**You could do it Tsukasa. You have the power.**_

"I couldn't possibly take over the Eraser fleet!" Amou protested.

"Why not? You're stronger than any other Eraser I've seen," Isshin said.

"If I were to take over I would have to leave," Amou argued. "I serve Mana and I certainly can't do so from space."

"Bring the Erasers down to earth," Haruna suggested.

"And if they don't want to come?"

Kaname spoke. "I know it's hard for you Tsukasa, but if we want the Aquarian Age to end, you'll have to kill Azrael."

"You could leave the ones that don't want to come in space and build a barrier around earth so they can't come down to wreak havoc," Mana looked around at the group. "You could allow certain times for Erasers to cross with permission."

"It would take a lot of power…" Isshin began.

"…but it could work," Haruna finished.

"So now we just wait for Nakaura _Sensei_, Itsuki-_kun_, and Kagome-_chan_," Mana said, satisfied.

"We may not have that luxury," Sota said suddenly. "I feel masses of psychic power approaching. We don't have any time to wait."

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

"Do you really believe your small group will be able to end the Aquarian Age on your own?"

Itsuki turned his head slightly and say onyx eyes staring at him from Kagome's face.

"Belial," he greeted, turning down another street.

"You are foolish. Our host will loss you to your own insane actions," the Darklore continued as if he had said nothing.

"We have to try."

"You will have better chances if you realize your full potential. It is possible to garden a small amount of new allies quickly. I can smell your dormant power."

"That's a little creepy."

"You also smell of the wind that carries the scent of blood," her face nuzzled into his neck and her lashes fluttered on the sensitive skin causing a shiver to run over him. "Will you take your place as a general in this war? Or are you content as a mere solider?"

"I serve Mana. It is no longer my place to blindly seek out power."

"You are a fool. It was idiotic of me to hope that you would protect our host."

"What do you want from me?"

"I want you to become a Mind Breaker."

Itsuki nearly dropped her. He had known he had the potential and had originally plan to do so but he had found Mana and had fallen under her service.

"I serve Mana," he repeated.

"You do not have to go outside her break to be a Mind Breaker."

"Why?"

"Our host is unable to control her powers, she needs to be min broken or she may end up causing more harm than good. She will not be able to submit to Mana, her subconscious will not allow this but she will allow you to do so. Sota as well would willingly be Mind Broken by you. The ability of two Mind Breakers on a battle field will do more good than one."

"Fine I'll do it." Itsuki paused and sat Belial on a bench. "I need you to recede, Belial."

"I will do so. Protect this body, boy." Her eyes closed and her head drooped limply.

Itsuki placed his hand to Kagome's forehead and pushed his power into her mind. He felt a wall and a connection to him forming in her mind. A feeling of molten lava poured through him and Itsuki could feel a new power source becoming available.

Seconds later he pulled away and looked down at the woman he had taken under his control. Her lashes fluttered and sleepy eye peered up at him.

"Itsuki?" He voice was slightly husky.

"Yes Kagome?"

"There's a mass of violent energy headed in this direction." Her eyes closed again and she added, "thank you for rescuing me."

Itsuki shook his head as he watched her fall back asleep. Carefully he lifted her back onto his back and regained his run to Kaname's.

He only hoped he reached there before the approaching psychics caught up.

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

Yes, it's short and everyone's disappointed but next update will be during Spring Break so I should be able to finish the last two chapters then and an Epilogue later.

This story has the potential to become slightly more confusing.

Now I'm off to lament the coming of Monday. Bye.

. : Next Time : .

Final Battle

The two jewels


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Twenty Three : .

They went outside to confront the oncoming mass.

Tsukasa was the first to see Itsuki running towards them. Tsukasa also noticed he was carrying Kagome on his back.

"Itsuki's approaching with Kagome," Sota announced. "But Itsuki feels a little different. Kind of like Mana. His aura covers Kagome."

"Itsuki Mind Broke Kagome," Isshin finished.

"I also sense an incredibly powerful Eraser approaching. No doubt it's your Azrael," Sota continued. "Behind that there is a mixture of several factions following Itsuki and Kagome."

"No doubt this is the final battle," Haruna quipped.

Itsuki finally reached them.

"Where'd you find Kagome-_kun_ at Itsuki-_kun_?" Mana asked.

"She was being contained at the E.G.O. headquarters. It's a long story, I'll have to explain after we deal with this," he waved a hand in the direction of the oncoming horde.

"I suppose it's too much to hope that no one will notice a battle happening on the streets," Kaname said dryly.

"Chances are that this 'secret war' will no longer be a secret after this." A frown curved Haruna's lips.

A beam of light surrounded them, blinding them for a second. When they were able to see again they found an Eraser floating before them. His long pale hair floated as his wing flapped rhythmically and baleful eyes glared down at them.

"Israfel, you have changed," his voice was practically a purr.

"Azrael-_sama_," Tsukasa whispered.

"You've regained your wings," Azrael noted. "Will you fight me then? I will continue on as I intend either way."

"If there is no other option, I will fight you," Amou replied.

"That what bothers me Israel. You never liked to fight."

Azrael turned and began to walk away, he walked slowly so Tsukasa would be able to follow. Tsukasa looked at his friends, all of whom where watching him worriedly.

"You guy be careful okay?"

Tsukasa turned and Mana put stopped him with a hand on his arm. He turned and faced his Mind Breaker. Her eyes were worried and he smiled in effort to reassure her.

"You'll be okay?" She asked.

He nodded and walked after Azrael. His wings sprouted and his garb changed after his first few steps and he rose into the air. A blast came straight towards him without warning and rising higher Tsukasa dodged out of the way. He was forced to pivot violently to the right as Azrael came at him with a heavy double bladed sword.

"You cannot defeat with without a weapon, Israfel," Azrael taunted.

Tsukasa hear a chanting begin in his head and at Mythrel's prompting held out his hand. No reaction to the strange movement was seen on Azrael's face. Merciless eyes dug into him.

"I am not without a weapon," Tsukasa announced.

There was a thump and Tsukasa closed his hand around a cold hilt. He brought the sword in front of him and stood ready to parry any attacks. He took only the barest amount of time to look over the weapon Mythrel had gifted to him. It was made up entirely of white metals, with one pale violet stone decorating the hilt on each side. The sword itself was surrounded by a vast reservoir of Eraser energy.

"Mythrel," Azrael ground out. "She's been helping you."

"Yes, I'm not the only one that sees you as an unfit ruler."

Azrael charged, sifting his weight at the last moment in order to catch Tsukasa off guard. Mythrel guided his movements however, keeping the less experience Eraser in front of the other.

"She's there, hiding beneath your surface," Azrael pressed closer till there faces were inches apart. "I can smell her."

Azrael pushed back, leaping away as Tsukasa arched his sword down. Azrael sought to attack from behind but Tsukasa was quick, turning in order to keep them face to face.

"Mythrel is a coward," Azrael spat.

He slid forward again, swinging vertically but Tsukasa danced out of the way with unnatural ease.

"I am not her host. Mythrel cannot be brought to the front in my body." Tsukasa attacked, and was met with a heavy handed block. "She whispers to me, though. She tells me every move your move before you perform it. She tells me your every thoughts as it occurs."

Tsukasa disengaged their blades, shifting in order to dodge Azrael's sword, and swung his own weapon outward in a crescent. Even with his vast experience, Azrael was hard pressed to block and move out of range.

Amou keep coming.

His arms moved mechanically as he followed Mythrel's instructions the letter. His blade sang through the air with every swing and thrust, a moving gleam of deadly silver.

Cuts appeared on Azrael's body, minor ones but wounds all the same. Finally Azrael got in a move and a blast of bright energy singed Tsukasa's shoulder.

"Your foot work is fancy, Israel but it will take more to defeat me."

Azrael rose higher into the sky and Tsukasa shot after him, his violet eyes narrowing as a part of him combined with his other self. The other part of him demanded their opponent's blood even as his true nature called for this fight to be resolved with as little violence as possible.

_Control yourself! You have to step your performance up a notch if you hope to win. You have powers, use them!_

Mythrel's snapping caused Tsukasa to bring forth his power. As the fight leveled again he stretched out his hand and sent a burning ball at Azrael, throwing himself in the same direction so he could direct wither after the attack hit or after it was dodged.

The fire burnt a wing, by the look of it, every flap would bring pain to Azrael. The "Angel of Death" remained calm, his face still blank as he regarded Tsukasa with a calculating look.

"Perhaps I will return you to my ranks," he murmured.

Tsukasa drove forward to attack but this time Azrael didn't move away, instead he also rush forward to met the less experience Eraser head on. Both hit the other with all of the power they could manage, sliding their swords through each other without the slightest hesitation.

Despite Azrael's words, they both knew that one of them would be dead before this battle was through.

Blood fell freely from both Erasers' bodies and one angel plummeted from the sky.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

The mass of enemy psychics came just as Tsukasa flew after Azrael. They were vastly outnumbered and Itsuki quickly set Kagome down and moved to Sota's side.

"Would you be willing to let me mind break you, Sota?" He then explained, "this is the only way a psychic can reach their full potential."

Sota nodded and Itsuki quickly implanted himself within the young boy's mind. His friends watched the proceedings carefully. Finally they stepped back and surveyed the area that was to be their battlefield.

"We can avoid the Erasers for the time being," Haruna said. "Hopefully Tsukasa-_kun_ will defeat Azrael soon and they will follow him."

"That takes out a chunk, but we have the rest to contend with," Kaname growled.

Sota reached out suddenly, his hand passing through empty air. The rest watched him curiously. Itsuki could feel the boy's energy spanning outward.

"I can feel the Wiz-Dom that is apart of your team following the horde. I also sense Sakura-_chan_ and several people from the Arayashiki _dojo_ coming," he reported. "We can count them as allies."

"Sakura as in Ai Sakura?" Isshin asked.

"I believe so, she's Noya's little sister."

"Then Arisugawa-_san_ will no doubt be coming too."

"That still leaves a lot to be desire, probability wise," Kaname grumbled.

"We'll make do," Mana said. "We always do."

Leathery black wings sprouted from Kaname's back and tattoos appeared on the backs of Isshin's hands. The group stepped out to face their enemies.

"Mana stay back with Kagome," Kaname ordered.

Knowing that she would be more hindrance than help Mana did as she was bidden, kneeling down at the side of the unconscious girl.

Kaname took off, skipping over the first set of ranks and diving right into the middle of enemy territory. Itsuki watched his go knowing that his friend would be able to take care of himself. If he had stayed the front lines would have been to easily decimated. A grin kicked up the corner of his lips and he called the wind to surround him.

Enhancing his speed his went into the thick of things. He cut through enemies with the winds at one moment and hurled illusions at others the next. Not once did he stop moving or think to retreat. He knew that he would have to take on his share of enemy psychics if they were going to win.

A while after he lost all track of time and the amount of injuries he had gained, Itsuki spotted Tsukasa descending from the sky. Finally he came to a stop slightly above the battlefield and brought up his hand. The battlefield was momentarily quiet as all psychics looked at the head that Tsukasa held up by its long pale hair. Eyes dulled by death stared unseeingly out at them.

Several Erasers rose into the air, slowing nearing Tsukasa. They stopped yards away form him and dropped to their knee. Itsuki could hear them murmur oaths of loyalty to their new leader.

Amou released his clenched grip on the head's hair and pointed his sword down at the battlefield. His mouth opened and he issued an order that Itsuki could not hear from his place on the ground. Itsuki guessed that Tsukasa had ordered them to help out in the battle.

The battle raged on again, the load roaring returning as time resumed its frantic flight.

Itsuki went back to work.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Kagome opened her eyes as the sound and smell of battle surrounded her. For a second she thought herself back in the _Sengoku Jidai_ (Feudal Era). Then Mana's face appeared over her, dispelling the notion.

"Kagome-_kun_!"

The _miko_ struggled for a moment and sat up. With a quickness that belayed her experience she surveyed the battle that way raging right on the other side of the porch. A Darklore in bloodlust came a step too close and Kagome scowled, causing the thing to be purified instantly.

"How long has this been going on?" Kagome asked.

"I don't know," Mana frowned. "At least an hour I believe."

"That's quiet enough time then," Kagome announced.

Kagome climbed to her feet and stepped off the porch. She held a hand out to Mana and waited.

"Come on, it time to finish this. I trust you would rather come?" Kagome said.

Mana laid her hand on top of hers and Kagome began to walk. They walk about two blocks of battle leveled ground, Kagome purifying any enemy psychics that approached them. They finally came upon Sota, Kagome waste no time in calling her brother over. As he approached she examined him to find that he was relatively unscathed.

"Sota, can you guard Mana-_chan_. I have a war to end."

"Arrogant as always," Sota snickered.

Kagome huffed but mussed her brother's hair and stepped forward. After settling herself a reasonable distance away from her interested spectators she removed _Goshinboku_'s (God Tree) jewel from the chain around her neck. She enfolded the small marble in her hand and made a quick prayer before letting it fall to the ground between her feet.

The ground around her immediately became cleaned form taint. The aura of _Goshinboku_ fill a small circumference, the purity of it calmed her for her next task.

Her fingers slowly changed to claws, with the help of Belial, the dull human nails become knife sharp tips. Kagome let her hand drift to her side and her eyes closed in anticipation of pain. Taking a deep breath she used her claws to cut her flesh open and carefully she removed a familiar jewel that had reformed in her side.

Daintily she lifted the jewel in her bloody claws to her face. Her fingers change back into human fingers and she held the _Shikon no Tama_ (Jewel of Four Souls) tightly.

"I wish this for this war to be over, for psychics to settle peacefully in the world, for the world to accept the psychics, for the past to be laid to rest," she whispered.

Pink light filled the battlefield and energy spilled from the legendary _Shikon no Tama_.

The fighting stopped.

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

Only one chapter and an epilogue to go!

Wow I've updated already, aren't you all proud of me! This story is so close to being finished. I bet you're all getting anxious are you? But you can't wait to see how it all ends either.

Hang tight people, the next chapter will be up soon, and by soon I mean within the week.

Muichimotsu is next!

Ciao.

. : Next Time : .

Resolutions

The fall of the E.G.O.

_Goshinboku_'s Jewel: the light of hope


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Chapter Twenty Four : .

The next few days saw great changes in the world.

Kagome looked harried as she crashed into the classroom seconds after the bell rang. Nakaura _Sensei_ was not pleased in the slightest.

"Timeliness is a virtue Higurashi," he scowled.

She scowled right back, "I'm not in the mood. I've been dealing with the press all morning. Isshin _Sempai_ usually handles them because he has the time and patience, but his parents finally cornered him into another meeting with Arisugawa-_san_. I got stuck with it instead."

"Very well, take your seat. Don't let it happen again."

Kagome rushed over to the empty seat by Mana and Tsukasa and slid into it. The trio quietly whispered greetings before Mana and Tsukasa gave their full attention to Nakaura for his math lecture. Kagome leaned forward to take a nap.

She was exhausted from dealing with reporters and all the questions and interviewer that seemed to follow every member of their group. The world seemed to take to psychics better than the psychics seemed to take the world knowing about them. But fear or respect the status of psychics rocketed and they were now honored. Laws were nearly instantly passed about discrimination against psychics, psychic killing and murderers. Psychic and Mind Breakers now had to register themselves and get a license and training.

Each faction, save E.G.O., was required to have a leader or spokes person to act as a go between for their faction and the government. Tsukasa, of course, had taken over the Erasers and had taken it upon himself to act as the go between. It had surprised the others when he had insisted that Erasers remain the name of his faction, Kagome understood that though they no longer erased it was to remember. Kaname, being the incarnation of the evil god Bael, took a place in the Darklore courts and being quiet influential he had also managed to land the go-between position, though he only served because Mana asked him to. Isshin also took the post, being the heir to one of the most prominent families of the Arayashiki. Nakaura _Sensei_ had been chosen to serve by the counsel. Mana served being the most prominent Mind Breaker at the time. Noya had denounced the honor and it had been up to Sota to serve as he was one of very few Sightless.

Kagome couldn't serve as she was a mix of nearly all factions, but she was happy with the fact. She had other things to worry about. Like take down the E.G.O. without bring a heap of repercussions down on her head. That would come to pass this very afternoon.

Another thing that she was dealing with was a certain fan club that was once again bothering Mana but her as well. Apparently being a Mind Breaker made Mana a witch and she had "bespelled" the boys to her side where she held them as her obedient slaves. To Kagome's amusement and horror, they had also caught onto a rumor that there was something going on between Itsuki and her. She didn't know how it worked that Mana being a Mind Breaker made her a witch while Itsuki was her Mind Breaker but for some reason he was said to be under her spell. Kagome didn't even pretend to have the slightest idea about how their minds functioned.

Nothing was going on between her and Itsuki. They hadn't even seen each other lately. He was always off doing something or another but she hadn't even seen him at school but she knew he was here, she could sense him on the fringe of her awareness. Kagome found that missed him.

Okay so maybe "nothing" wasn't the correct way to describe it.

Someone shook her shoulder and she stirred, turning her head to the side she say Tsukasa standing at her side. The Eraser had been getting training from Mythrel and as such had yet to return her to her original host. They would do that today as well. Kagome slide out of her seat and accompanied by Mana and Tsukasa the trio made their way to the cafeteria.

"I don't know how you can sleep through _Sensei_'s class Kagome-_kun_," Mana said. "He doesn't seem to mind all that much now either."

"I turn in all my work," Kagome explained. "I have Tsukasa teach me everything when we have free time. It's easier than learning when I'm half asleep."

"Oh."

Kaname joined them and claimed Mana's attention. This left Tsukasa and Kagome to talk.

"How's training with Mythrel going?" Kagome asked.

"Well. I finished my last lesson last night," he replied. "She says she's ready to move on."

The other's had already gone, passed on to another life. Mythrel had only remained to train Tsukasa but as soon as she rejoined Kagome she would also pass on. Kagome guessed that they had finished what they were supposed to do. Soon they would all rest in peace.

Kagome absently wondered if Tsukasa would miss hearing the voices as much as she would.

But speaking of laying to rest, Kagome had some of her own memories that she had to let go. But that was for later. Again she turned to Tsukasa.

"Have you seen Itsuki? I haven't seen him for a while," she explained.

The blond shook his head, "not today. He was with Sota yesterday though."

Kagome frowned, Sota didn't say anything about seeing Itsuki. She could bet that the two were up to something.

Small talk reined over the rest of lunch and soon the bell rang. A groan was heard from the student body as they trudged their way back to class. Kagome and Tsukasa lingered, the former not wanting to go back to class and the latter for a certain moment.

Suddenly Tsukasa swung in front of her and pressed his lips to her. It was over as soon as it began but Kagome could see a sheen over her skin. The light intensified before gathering and shooting away. Kagome felt the presence of Mythrel leave them completely.

Finding nothing else to do, Kagome grabbed Tsukasa's hand and dragged him back to class.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Hours later Kagome stood in front of a familiar hospital.

Psychics assigned to help with this task as well as a small chunk of the local police force surrounded her. They had found an efficient amount of evidence and now had an order straight from the Emperor and parliament to take down the E.G.O.

They were given a signal and Kagome went through the doors. There were psychics waiting for the attack but with help from the other psychic they were quickly exhausted and restrained by the police. Unfailingly Kagome took one of the psychic's cards and used it to bring a group down into the restricted basements.

The area was nearly untended.

There was only one woman standing in the middle of the lab. She had a remarkable resemblance to Itsuki and Haruna. Kagome knew that this woman was their mother, she was also the person heading the E.G.O. at the moment.

"Itsuki Kana, by order of the Emperor and the Japanese Parliament we're to place you under arrest," a police officer declared.

"I see." Golden eyes stared at her picking her apart. "Are you satisfied with what you've done, one zero? Destroying the E.G.O. faction and ripping my family apart."

"I've only returned the favor," Kagome answered simply.

"As you say," Kanna held her wrist out. "Go ahead, I will stay by my faction members."

The police officer moved forward and handcuffed the woman with cuff that had a power binding spell inlayed in it. Kagome waited till Kanna was restrained before going off to look for her mom.

Her mother hadn't been expecting her.

"_Oka-san_?"

"Kagome?"

Kagome moved forward and hugged her mother. She was finally back, Kagome had nearly gone crazy when Itsuki had told her that her mother was being held here. But now she was safe and she would never have to worry about this happening again.

"I sorry Kagome. I should have told you about the Aquarian Age," her mother rambled.

She hushed her mother, "it's alright. It's over, the war is over."

Kun Loon's nightmare was finally over.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

After getting her mom to rest Kagome hung out on the porch of her family's new house.

She had been avoiding this ever since she had returned to this time but Kagome knew now that she had healed enough to review the final day of her last trip to the _Sengoku Jidai_ (Feudal Era).

It had been a gorgeous day but Naraku had attacked causing the deaths of Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo. Kagome herself had been taken captive. Inu Yasha had no doubt felt helpless and useless at that point all of his friends dead. He had no doubt trained while Naraku had held her prisoner.

Then Kagura had set her free. Kagome didn't know if it was by Naraku's orders or an act of defiance against the _hanyou_. Still Kagome had been grateful and had made her way back to the well.

Kagome had no idea how it had come to pass but the next thing she knew she was near the well and under attack by Naraku. Inu Yasha had sat placidly at the other _hanyou_'s side.

She had been forced to kill both _hanyou_. As soon as she had killed Naraku, Inu Yasha had gone berserk. She had sat with him for his finally moments. His words would always haunt her.

"_I wish you had never been born."_

She had immediately returned home. And now she found that she was able to forgive him, just this last time.

"Kagome?"

The _miko_ looked up and was surprise to find Itsuki standing right in front of her. She blinked, thinking that the image was just an illusion but her hand stretched and touched his chest and she found him to be very real.

"Itsuki," she breathed, nearly launching herself at the young man.

He smiled down at her and held out a hand in order to help her up. She let him have her hand without question.

"I have something to show you," he said. "But it's a surprise so you have to close your eyes."

She was a little nervous, but that might have only been a result from their closeness. Kagome shut her eyes without voice a single question or doubt.

He began to lead her away.

They eventually came to a stop and Kagome felt a wave of purity crash over her. Itsuki leaned closer to her and she felt his breath wash over her ear and neck.

"Open your eyes."

Again she obeyed and her breath caught as she saw the magnificent tree before her. She turned to Itsuki.

"How?"

"I came back to get the jewel that Sota said you dropped here," he explained. "Instead there was a little sapling. I got Sota and with some help it grew back to its former state." He led her over to _Goshinboku_ (God Tree) and pointed at it. "There's even a scar on the bark that Sota said you would recognize."

This time Kagome did launch herself at him. The force of impact sent them both tumbling to the ground and it came to pass that Kagome sat up on Itsuki stomach. She looked at him with a grin. Itsuki smirked and brought his hand up to the back of her neck. A firm pull brought her down on top of him and he sealed her lips with his.

A minute or two later they pulled away and stared at each other.

"Itsuki I think I might love you," Kagome whispered.

"Good, we're even then," he replied.

Before she could say anything else he pulled her back down for another kiss.

. : End Chapter : .

: . Author's Note . :

That was the last full chapter of Inazuma!

This story is almost over, only an epilogue, which I will work on immediately after this, to go.

Originally nothing was going to be said about why Kagome left the Feudal Era but reviewer insistence got me to post a quick little summary in this chapter.

And Itsuki and Kagome confessed! Aren't you happy? A note, Tsukasa does see Kagome in a romantic light, they're good friends nothing more.

Questions, comment, concern? Review!

Ciao

. : Next Time : .

Forgiveness

Teacher

Lightning


	25. Epilogue

. : Inazuma : .

: . By Akikazu . :

. : Epilogue : .

They built a _dojo_.

It was huge, more than thrice the size of the one that Sakura's family ran. It sat where a neighborhood had been leveled during the final battle of the Aquarian Age. The architecture was very traditional, as Kagome had insisted, and it had an inner courtyard where _Goshinboku_ continued to grow.

It was the first anniversary of the end of the Aquarian Age, exactly one year had passed since the presence of psychics had been revealed to the world. But there would be no parades or anything of such festivities as rain drops careened down on the world.

Lightning streaked across the sky and thunder boomed through her ear, causing Kagome to sigh happily.

Class had just been let out because of the weather and Kagome couldn't help but be grateful. The storm was just too marvelous to teach through.

Moving forward she opened the window and slid outside onto the tile of the partial roof of the _dojo_'s second floor. Careful not to slip on the rain slackened tile she sat down with her legs hanging over the edge, and let the rain wash over her. Not even a minute later she was soaked to the bone.

A door slid shut in the room behind her but Kagome didn't turn to look. She already knew who it was. She felt the person climb out of the window and sit behind her. Strong arms wrapped around her and she leant back into the man that she loved. Lips covered hers for a brief moment before pulling back by her ear. She could feel his warm breath puffing over the delicate appendage and shivered slightly.

"Naoya," she murmured.

"Enjoying the rain, Kagome?"

"Yeah. You've dismissed your students as well?"

"Of course," he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I don't want them stuck here with us if there's a flood warning." He kissed her temple, "the winds tell me it's going to be a long storm."

She sighed happily and he took possession of her lips again. Kagome shivered again and Itsuki pulled away. Gleaming gold eyes watched her at half mast.

"We should go inside. I wouldn't want you to get sick."

"Mmhm. Mama's here too so we shouldn't be sneaking off. Sota's at Sakura's and she'll think that we're…"

He kissed her again, a brief kiss this time before standing and pulling her back inside. Lightning flashed behind them.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Kun Loon cornered him while Kagome was cooking.

Itsuki knew that she had not completely forgiven him for being his mother's son but had put up with it because he knew he had to be with Kagome. He knew that Kagome would never abandon her family.

"Have you seen your mother lately?" Kun Loon asked, some what pleasantly.

"Yes, last weekend."

Kagome had forced them to go. Apparently just because your mother only saw you as an instrument to gain power didn't mean you could ignore her.

Back to the situation at hand Itsuki noticed the Kun Loon had gone even stiff than he was.

"I believe I owe you an apology," she murmured, quietly.

Itsuki stared at her blankly.

"I judged you from your mother and I've continued to hold that grudge for the past year. I had no right," an empty smile twisted her lips. "Kagome showed me, she's a much more forgiving person than I am."

"She is," he agreed.

Kagome chose that moment to duck into the room.

"_Oka-san_, Naoya, dinner is ready. You better come eat before it cools."

Itsuki stood and held out a hand to the mother of his lover.

"We'll start over then," he said.

She smile and took his hand. Together they joined the young woman they loved in the dinning room.

I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I . I .

Much later Kagome and Itsuki sat together on a window seat, watching the rain splatter against the window. Kagome cuddled into her lover's embrace as lightning split the sky. Soft lips pressed to the crown of her head.

"Did you ever think it would be like this Kagome?" His voice was soft, soothing her mind without effort.

"No."

"When did you know we were in love?"

She gave a tiny shrug, "it just hit me, right out of no where. I just suddenly knew that this was love."

"Like lightning then."

A smile curved her lips, "yeah, just like lightning."

. : End Story : .

: . Author's Note . :

Inazuma is Japanese for a flash of lightning.

It's over, but my feelings at this moment aren't those of pure relief.

I like this story. I suppose that's only reasonable seeing as I've been writing it for a bit under a year. This is actually the third multi-chapter story that I've finished and the feeling of doing so is very weird.

The time had finally come to close the curtains on this story, but I've included a fact fiction segment for Juvenile Orion.

Till next time.

. : Fact and Fiction : .

Alright for those of you who've I've confused, it's time to sort through the facts of Juvenile Orion, who's plot I've twisted very far without any boundary what so ever.

**Are the Sightless really a faction?**

Fiction, nope, I created them. It's just a strange idea that just hit and stuck.

**Do the voices from Kagome's head exist?**

Fact, they do not in the Manga but they are actual cards save Mythrel whose card is _Angel Knight_.

**Azrael?**

Fact, Tsukasa mentions him when he's recalling the moments before his descent to Earth.

**Does Arisugawa exist, who is she?**

Fact, she does exist. She's the weird fiancée that Isshin's family hooked him up with.

**Itsuki Kanna?**

Fact, Kanna is actually Itsuki and Haruna's mom who is briefly mentioned in the Manga. She really was disinherited for unknown reasons.

And that's all for Fact and Fiction.


End file.
